Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 221 S Washington ST S / Parcel ID 5247800935 / Inv #

Historic Name: (building owned by Lou Graham) Graham Block (part of) Common Name: Washington Court Building (Union Gospel Office) Style: 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). Now called the Washington Court Building, this building was erected right after the Fire of 1889 and completed in 1890. It was commissioned by Lou Graham, one of the most famous Madames in the former “burnt district.” She had first opened a bordello in the area in 1888, but it had burnt down in the Fire. She became one of the first property owners to rebuild her business. The new building housed what was considered a high class brothel which catered to government officials and members of Seattle’s first families. Born Dorothea Ohben in Germany, she was charged with “licentious behavior” in 1892 and brought to trial. She was defended by two powerful members of the Seattle establishment, Judge J. T. Ronald, a Superior Court Judge in King County for the last fifty years of his life and Samuel Piles, assistant district attorney under Judge Ronald and later a U.S. Senator. Not surprisingly, she was acquitted. Lou Graham became a very rich woman, who is credited with funding the construction of a large portion of Pioneer Square’s sidewalks, paid for with the profits from the work of her women employees. She died in 1903. This building, along with the neighboring 219 S. Washington Street, is shown as part of the Graham Block in a 1905 Baist map. Graham's many landholdings were given to the public schools of King County. A plaque on the building explains the first use of the building and describes Lou Graham’s contributions to King County public school system. Aside from changes to some of the storefronts, which have been mainly restored to an appearance probably more in keeping with their original appearance and the odd paint job, which appears on photographs from around the 1960s, the building’s architectural detailing and fabric seem to be intact. Architecturally, this is a wonderful and interestingly detailed example of a Victorian style building erected in Pioneer Square right after the Fire of 1889. This building more recently was part of the Union Gospel Mission. It now houses a number of offices, in addition to the Union Gospel Office.   Appearance Virtually rectangular in plan, with short angled façade between 3rd Avenue South and South Washington Street, this is a four story building with brick exterior walls, stone trim and cast-iron elements above the storefront. The composition of the three main facades - the Washington Street façade, the Third Avenue South façade and the angled façade between the two - is based on a typical Victorian grid pattern, with brick piers between bays, as well as thin belt courses and other horizontal elements emphasizing the divisions between floors. A main historical doorway, with an ornamented arched opening, is set at the ground level of the angled elevation. In the elevations to each side of this, are storefronts in wood frames with transom windows. Above the storefront is a typically Victorian frieze in cast-iron, which emphasizes the brick piers with projecting three–dimensional elements which include a metal rectangle, surmounted by a triangular shaped ornament with flower motifs. The upper stories have groups of segmental arched openings at the second level and semi-circular arched openings at the third level. Rusticated stone with tooled edges outlines the top of the openings, and each stone frame has a prominent ornamental keystone. At the third level, the rusticated frame mimics voussoirs in an arch, but these are only ornamental. The top level windows are trabeated, with smooth frames in stone. At the top of the parapet, is a projecting cornice with pairs of brackets underneath it, as well as ornamental panels, with a simple repeated design. The design looks like a circle with four leaf-like shapes arranged symmetrically around it. Of note is that a close inspection reveals that the brick has been painted a brick red, with the mortar joints repainted in black and that the stone has been painted over with gray paint. From not such a great distance, the extent of the painting is thankfully not that obvious.

Detail for 221 S Washington ST S / Parcel ID 5247800935 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: NR, LR Cladding(s): Brick, Metal, Stone - Ashlar/cut Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Flat with Parapet Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition Building Type: Commercial/Trade - Business Plan: Irregular Structural System: Masonry - Unreinforced No. of Stories: four Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Social Movements & Organizations Integrity Changes to Original Cladding: Slight Changes to Windows: Intact Changes to Plan: Intact Storefront: Slight Major Bibliographic References Andrews, Mildred et al. Pioneer Square: Seattle's Oldest Neighborhood. Manuscript. Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, forthcoming 2005. Brians, Ann Elizabeth. Indomitable Pioneer Square. Master of Urban Planning Thesis, University of Washington, Seattle, 1973. Plaque on 221 South Washington Street, Seattle, Washington McDermott, Tom, Owner. “Third & Washington Building, 221 S. Washington, Historic Preservation Certification Application, Part 1.” 10 December 1982.

Photo collection for 221 S Washington ST S / Parcel ID 5247800935 / Inv #

Photo taken Jun 09, 2004