Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 310 9th AVE / Parcel ID 1986200160 / Inv #

Historic Name: 310 9th Ave North/ Gardner Brothers Oils and Jack E Way Manufacturers Common Name: United Electric Motor Service? Style: Commercial Neighborhood: South Lake Union Built By: Year Built: 1926   Significance In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). This simple building, like 312 9th Avenue North, which adjoins it, was owned by “L. H. Coolidge et al.”(and others). Coolidge was also one of the people who commissioned 312 9th Avenue North. King County Tax Assessor Records date the original construction of the building from 1926. The original architect for this building is unknown, although the building resembles 312 9th Avenue North, so it may have also been designed by McKnight and Witherspoon, who designed 312 9th Avenue North around the same period. In 1938, ther building had two tenants, Gardner Brothers Oils and Jack E. Way Manufacturers. While the storefront was redesigned and rebuilt in 1954, the remodel was sensitive to the original storefront design and replicated detailing based on the 1920s original. Since that time, the storefront has not been changed significantly. Since the 1954 design is technically over forty years old, it can still be considered significant.   Appearance 310 9th Ave North is located south of 312 9th Avenue N on the eastern side of 9th Ave North, between Harrison and Thomas Streets. It is rectangular in plan, sixty feet by one hundred and twenty feet, with the shorter dimension parallel to 9th Avenue North. One story in height, it has a flat roof as well a parapet. Exterior walls are of concrete and concrete block with mainly a stucco finish on the 9th Avenue North main façade. The façade also has brick veneer and sills on the low walls below glazed storefront. Outside of the storefront, which takes up most of the façade, the façade has few distinguishing architectural characteristics. The storefront, set in a wood frame, is symmetrically composed and is divided into several bays. These include a central doorway with multi-pane clerestory, flanked by somewhat narrow bays of plate glass, also with multi-pane glass clerestories. These are followed, to each side, by wider bays, with similar multi-pane clerestories. Dated historic photos show that the original storefront, although somewhat similar to what it is now, was only reconfigured to its present state in 1954. The outer bays of the storefront have remained the same and in the plane of the façade. Moving toward the center of the elevation, however, the plate glass storefronts angled in to large, central recessed, multi-pane double doors, with multi-pane clerestories. The 1954 remodel brought the entire storefront into the plane of the façade, although it retained detail elements of the original design.

Detail for 310 9th AVE / Parcel ID 1986200160 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: INV Cladding(s): Brick, Stucco, Wood Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Flat with Parapet Roof Material(s): Asphalt/Composition Building Type: Commercial/Trade - Warehouse Plan: Rectangular Structural System: Concrete - Poured No. of Stories: one Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Manufacturing/Industry Integrity Storefront: Moderate Changes to Original Cladding: Moderate Changes to Plan: Intact Major Bibliographic References King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972. Drawings, Microfiche Files, Department of Planning and Development.

Photo collection for 310 9th AVE / Parcel ID 1986200160 / Inv #

Photo taken Feb 10, 2005