Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 2620 3rd AVE / Parcel ID 0656000400 / Inv #

Historic Name: Musicians' Club of Seattle Common Name: Musicians' Association Style: Modern - International Style Neighborhood: Belltown Built By: Year Built: 1959   Significance The Musicians’ Association of Seattle is affiliated with the American Federation of Musicians. Local 76 was chartered in 1898. AFM Local 493 was formed by African-American musicians who were not allowed to join Local 76. In 1958 Local 493 was amalgamated into Local 76, and it is now known as Local 76-493 (www.local76-493.org). This building was completed as their new headquarters shortly afterwards, in 1959. It was designed by the firm of Nelsen and Sabin. Ibsen Nelsen was one of Seattle’s most notable Modernist architects. Born in Nebraska in 1914, he moved with his family to Oregon as a child and received his degree in architecture from the University of Oregon in 1951. He opened a practice in Seattle in 1953, later forming a partnership with Russell Sabin that focused primarily on relatively modest houses. Their emphasis on houses for ordinary people rather than the wealthy made them an appropriate choice to design the Musicians’ Union building, which is of a modest almost residential scale. In 1968 Nelsen established an independent practice, taking on larger works, including several buildings at Western Washington University. Locally, he is most noted for the Museum of Flight (1975-87) and the Merrill Court Townhouses (1981-86). Nelsen was very active in the community as a supporter of historic preservation and good urban design. He taught at the University of Washington, became a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and received the AIA Seattle Gold Medal in 2001.   Appearance This simple Modernist building has a flat roof with shallow eaves; a flat canopy extends over the recessed entry. The building is of concrete construction with buff-colored brick veneer in a dceorative pattern. The north half has vertical windows above spandrels that appear to be metal panels. A small addition was added to the south end in 1962.

Detail for 2620 3rd AVE / Parcel ID 0656000400 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Brick, Concrete, Metal Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Flat with Eaves Roof Material(s): Unknown Building Type: Commercial/Trade - Organizational Plan: Rectangular Structural System: Concrete - Poured No. of Stories: one Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Social Movements & Organizations Integrity Changes to Plan: Slight Changes to Original Cladding: Intact Changes to Windows: Intact Major Bibliographic References King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972. DoCoMoMo-WeWa.org/architects

Photo collection for 2620 3rd AVE / Parcel ID 0656000400 / Inv #

Photo taken Jul 05, 2006