| Historic Name: |
Unknown (1932 9th) |
Common Name: |
Print Time |
| Style: |
Commercial, Modern - International Style |
Neighborhood: |
Denny Triangle |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1918 |
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| Significance |
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The original building was constructed between 1917 and 1918 and the lot had been owned by Joseph Beckler since 1912. At this time, the building was described as a store building. The later storefront dates from a remodel in 1949. A photo from 1962 indicates that by that year the building was occupied by the Dodge City automobile show room. A large sign over the 9th Avenue storefront announced “Dodge City, Division of S. L. Savidge, Inc.” There was also a sign with similar information on the Virginia Street elevation, as well as a blade sign on the Virginia St/ 9th Avenue corner.
The building is architecturally unremarkable, although the angled storefront is a bold, Modernist solution. The 1949 storefront design is not completely intact, since what appear to be original transoms in the 1962 photo have been filled in. The building, however, is of some interest because of the change of use and styles over time and because of the association with the S. L. Savidge Company. This business also commissioned the streamlined 2101 9th Avenue, the former S. L. Savidge Inc. Dodge Plymouth, completed in 1948.
Samuel Leigh Savidge, who began his career as an automobile salesman in Portland, Oregon, founded the S. L. Savidge Dealership in 1926. His company was the Dodge distributor for Western Washington and Alaska. His dealership, like many early automobile related businesses in Seattle, was originally located along the first auto row, centered around Pike and Pine Streets, between Broadway and 12th Avenue East. By 1925, a new auto row began to develop, north of Downtown, along Westlake Avenue, particularly between Denny Way and South Lake Union. There appears to have been a further post World War II development: in the Denny Triangle, not only did S. L. Savidge and Company build its signature showroom at 2101 9th Avenue (1948) and probably acquire this building (remodeled in 1949), but in 1947, Westlake Chevrolet expanded into the Beaux Arts inspired store building at 2120 Westlake Avenue and built a building the south. Except for this last building, which still is used for auto service, none of these other buildings are still used as automobile showrooms or in automobile related
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| Appearance |
| This is a one story concrete building, located on the southeast corner of 9th Avenue and Virginia Street. There are two street facing elevations. The Virginia Street elevation is characterized by a series of single, segmental arched openings as well as a few small rectangular openings. In addition, the parapet steps up in the eastern direction, with the street grade. On this elevation, glazing has been completely filled in. The main elevation along 9th Avenue is a storefront with a transom level, set on a brick base. A notable feature of this elevation is that the storefront glazing is dramatically canted out. The Virginia Street elevation reflects the original design and construction of the building between 1917 and 1918, while the storefront along 9th Avenue reflects a Modernist remodel, completed in 1949. |
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| Status: |
No - Altered |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
INV |
| Cladding(s): |
Brick, Concrete |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Flat with Parapet |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition |
| Building Type: |
Commercial/Trade - Business |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
| Structural System: |
Brick |
No. of Stories: |
one |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Commerce, Transportation |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Plan: |
Slight |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Moderate |
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Storefront: |
Extensive |
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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 Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972.
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Cathy Wickwire, “S. L. Savidge Inc., 2021 9th Avenue,” City of Seattle Historic Neighborhood Inventory Database, October 30, 2000
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