| Historic Name: |
Buchan Baking Company |
Common Name: |
Essential Bakery |
| Style: |
Commercial |
Neighborhood: |
Wallingford |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1925 |
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| Significance |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. |
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The initial component of this bakery building was erected in 1925 by R. P. Giarde for owners George and George B. Buchan. The design was prepared by Wiiliam Aitkin, a registered architect who is now best remembered as one of the several architects involved with the design of the Yesler Terrace Housing Project (1940 - 43). When the bakery building was expanded in 1936-38, Aitkin was responsible for the design of the addition. He also worked on a remodeling project at the bakery completed in 1941-42 by Ranking Construction Company. A metal marquee was added in 1949 by Ratta Sheet Metal Co. In recent years the building has been substantially remodeled and the bakery operation has been joined by a restaurant. Despite the major modifications to the storefront, this humble bakery building remains significant as an iconic reminder of the neighborhood's past and examplifies the skill of the architect, William Aitkin, with masonry veneer design. It has for many years been a landmark commonly used by local residents for wayfinding in south Wallingford.
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| Appearance |
| This single story light industrial building, a bakery since it was originally erected in 1925, appears to be a combination of ordinary masonry, wood post and beam, and light frame construction built on a concrete foundation.The building is characterized by its carefully designed brick veneer and delicately capped parapet. The subtle shaping of the coping accentuates the rhythm of the patterned panels in the veneer, particularly at the corners of the building. The addition to the north built in 1936-39 skillfully extends the design into the new structure. The original storefront at the west elevation consisted of three equally sized openings with nearly identical glazed, folding garage doors. Similarly framed but variously sized and organized store fronts opened onto the sidewalk at the south elevation. The west facing doors have since been removed, though the transom lites appear to have been left in place. The west elevation storefront below the transom was substantially modified when the restaurant use was added to the building in 1999 and may have been altered once before. Several of the openings on the south elevation appear to have been bricked-up with a material that does not quite match the original material in color or sophistication of design. The metal marquee, built after World War II, stepped up the façade to follow the rise of the street until it was replaced or modified at some point after 1954 to remove the step. Several penthouse units, visible from across the street are likely recent additions to the structure. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Brick |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Flat with Parapet |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition |
| Building Type: |
Industry/Processing/Extraction - Manufacturing |
Plan: |
Square |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
one |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Community Planning/Development, Manufacturing/Industry |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Moderate |
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Changes to Plan: |
Moderate |
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Changes to Windows: |
Extensive |
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| Major Bibliographic References |
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City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records.
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King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives.
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Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, ed. Shaping Seattle Architecture, A Historical Guide to the Architects. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994.
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