Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 89 S Washington ST S / Parcel ID 5247800130 / Inv #

Historic Name: J & M Annex/ Walter Collins Building Common Name: J & M Annex (part of J & M Hotel Building) Style: Commercial, Queen Anne - Richardsonian Romanesque Neighborhood: Pioneer Square Built By: Year Built: 1890   Significance In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). Although listed separately in the original National Register nomination for the Pioneer Square-Skid Road Historic District, the building is part of the J & M Building parcel. By itself, the annex building is not distinguished architecturally. It may date from as early as 1889-1890 and therefore from the rebuilding of the “burnt district,” right after the Fire or most likely from slightly later, around 1895. The remnant of the pier on the Washington Street elevation suggests that there may be more details of architectural interest below the wood siding, but at present, this has not been proven. According to records at the Seattle Department of Planning and Development, in 1895, a permit was issued to Frye and Bruhn, allowing them to build a “two story” building, with a 10’ by 10’ footprint at 201 Commercial Street, the historical address of the J & M Café. This may very well refer to this structure, whose front dimension is about 10 feet (and the lowest level to the south may be considered a basement). This would give it a slightly later date than the original J & M Building. In any case, it indicates that Charles Frye and his associate Charles Bruhn, who in 1891 created the Frye and Bruhn Meat Packing Company , probably owned the building site in 1895. Now commonly known as the J & M Building Annex, which is its role today, the building appears to have been known as the Walter Collins Building by the 1910s. At least by 1919, the Collins Building housed an employment Agency, known as the C. M. & St. P. Employment Agency, which provided work to shipbuilders. The Collins Building can be seen in contemporary photographs of the elevated Seattle Municipal Street railway, which was completed on September 4, 1919. At that time, the north elevation had an overhanging awning indicating both the name of the agency, with, above it, an ornamental sign in raised letters with the name “Collins.” The elevated railway line ran east and west along Washington Street from and to the former Railway Avenue, now Alaskan Way, past what is now the Lutheran Compass Center, the St. Charles Hotel (its name in 1919), the “little Collins Building” and the J & M Building. The railway was built in large part to speed the arrival of workers involved in shipbuilding in Seattle’s southern harbor, where they built ships for the war effort during World War I. Since the building is considered physically part of the J & M property and it has historical significance, it should keep its contributing status. Also, vestiges of its original fabric may well be underneath the siding of the north façade.   Appearance This small building adjoins the J & M Building and is currently considered part of the same parcel. It faces north on Washington Street and has an alley elevation facing west. The northern half of the building is one story, while the southern portion of the building, because of a grade change is three stories. The one story portion of the west elevation has three segmental window openings. The southern three story portion of the west elevation has segmental openings on its two upper stories and is filled in with new concrete block at the ground level. Currently, the north elevation is covered with horizontal tongue and groove siding and has a remnant of an original brick pier with a stone capital and a cast-iron base.

Detail for 89 S Washington ST S / Parcel ID 5247800130 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: NR, LR Cladding(s): Brick, Metal, Stone, Wood Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Flat with Parapet Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition, Unknown Building Type: Commercial/Trade - Business Plan: Rectangular Structural System: Masonry - Unreinforced No. of Stories: two Unit Theme(s): Commerce, Community Planning/Development, Manufacturing/Industry Integrity Changes to Windows: Moderate Changes to Original Cladding: Moderate Changes to Plan: Intact Major Bibliographic References Raffin, Melina and Shelley Krueger. “ 201-221 1st Avenue South.” Report for URBDP 586 A. University of Washington, 2003. City of Seattle, Department of Neighborhoods, Historic Preservation Program Files. Dorpat, Paul, “101 The Railroad Avenue Elevated,” Seattle, Now and Then, Seattle: Tartu Publications, 1984.

Photo collection for 89 S Washington ST S / Parcel ID 5247800130 / Inv #

Photo taken Oct 26, 2004