Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 3307C 3rd AVE / Parcel ID 890000-0555 / Inv #

Historic Name: Auditorium Building Common Name: McKinley Hall Style: Art Deco - PWA Moderne Neighborhood: Queen Anne Built By: Year Built: 1940   Significance In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places. In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). Seattle Pacific University was first established on April 4, 1891, as the Seattle Seminary, organized by the Oregon and Washington Conference of the Free Methodist Church in order to train missionaries. It began with 34 elementary school students, adding high school courses the following year. In 1910 it expanded to include college-level courses. Soon afterwards, in 1913, it was renamed The Seattle Seminary and College and, in 1915, Seattle Pacific College. It gained its current name in 1977. By 2001 the school had grown to serve 3,500 students on a 45-acre campus. The older buildings, and important newer structures, form an ensemble that illustrates the school's history; they are arranged around a grass-covered central square with numerous large trees. The McKinley Auditorium building’s Moderne style reflects its 1939 construction date, while its brick cladding and scale reflect the older Peterson and Alexander buildings nearby. The idea for a new chapel/auditorium building began in 1930; the need was critical as no new buildings had been built on campus for 25 years. But fundraising took some time during the Depression, and the groundbreaking did not occur until 1939. It was originally intended to include classrooms and offices as well as the auditorium, but building codes made it cheaper to build a stand-alone auditorium structure. The large auditorium contains a wood truss of an innovative design. The building was named in honor of Reverend Charles S. McKinley, who had served on the board of trustees for more than thirty years. The building has two theaters on the main level and an art gallery on the lower level. It was renovated in 1964, and some windows have newer metal sash that resembles the original. The architect was Frederick V. Lockman, who had earlier (1925-33) been a partner of Otis Hancock. Lockman also assisted Schack, Young & Meyers in the design of the University Baptist Church (1922-26).   Appearance McKinley Hall is of Art Moderne design, clad with dark red brick with dark gray brick accents, cast stone trim and a concrete foundation. A broad stairway leads up to the center entry bay, which has a gabled parapet and an imposing two-story façade with four columns that sit on polished granite plinths. The bay is clad with cast stone, which is also seen in diamond shaped plaques in the gable end. The top of each bay has large multipaned arched windows. The gabled section projects slightly and is flanked by tall narrow panels of glass block; the two side bays have smaller gabled parapets and tall windows with pointed arches topped with brick chevrons. Entry is through two pairs of glass doors on the main façade; above are high glass transoms and large arched windows at the top of the bays. The panel above the doors is ornamented with religious symbols in cast stone. The rear and sides have secondary entries and a loading door, with tall multipaned windows with pointed arches. The concrete foundation, visible on the sides, has horizontal reveals. The horizontality is emphasized by projecting brick courses between windows on the first bay on the east and west elevations.

Detail for 3307C 3rd AVE / Parcel ID 890000-0555 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Brick Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Flat with Parapet, Gable Roof Material(s): Unknown Building Type: Education - College Plan: Rectangular Structural System: Balloon Frame/Platform Frame No. of Stories: two Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Education, Religion Integrity Changes to Plan: Intact Changes to Windows: Slight Changes to Original Cladding: Intact Major Bibliographic References King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives. Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, ed. Shaping Seattle Architecture, A Historical Guide to the Architects. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994. Reinartz, Kay F. Queen Anne: Community on the Hill. Seattle: Queen Anne Historical Society, 1993. McNichols, Donald. Seattle Pacific University: A Growing Vision, 1891-1991. Seattle Pacific University, 1991.

Photo collection for 3307C 3rd AVE / Parcel ID 890000-0555 / Inv #

Photo taken Sep 29, 2004