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Summary for 616 Battery ST / Parcel ID 069700325 / Inv #

Historic Name: Elephant Car Wash Common Name: Elephant Car Wash
Style: Modern Neighborhood: Denny Triangle
Built By: Year Built: 1956
 
Significance
The Elephant Car wash is emblematic of the growing importance of the automobile in the 1950s. It was built in 1956, right where Aurora Avenue meets Denny at the north edge of downtown. During the same period, numerous motels were built in the immediate vicinity, as auto travel was becoming very popular following the austerity of the Depression and World War II. The car wash was expanded in 1960 and 1967, and the windows and other features have been modernized since then. It features a large rotating neon sign of a pink elephant, a recognizable landmark of the area.
 
Appearance

Detail for 616 Battery ST / Parcel ID 069700325 / Inv #

Status: No - Altered
Classication: Building District Status:
Cladding(s): Concrete - Block Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured
Roof Type(s): Flat Roof Material(s): Unknown
Building Type: Transportation - Road- Related Plan: Rectangular
Structural System: Concrete - Block No. of Stories: one
Unit Theme(s): Transportation
Integrity
Changes to Windows: Moderate
Changes to Plan: Extensive
Changes to Original Cladding: Intact
Major Bibliographic References
King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972.

Photo collection for 616 Battery ST / Parcel ID 069700325 / Inv #


Photo taken Jul 04, 2006
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