Historic Name: |
Nettleton Apartments |
Common Name: |
1000 8th Avenue Apartments |
Style: |
Modern |
Neighborhood: |
First Hill |
Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1949 |
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Significance |
In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places. |
In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. |
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The Nettleton is a major feature of the west side of First Hill. Its construction in 1949 was a milestone in the size of Seattle apartment buildings and the density of First Hill. This $3,000,000 complex consists of two 14-story buildings with 360 units and a 200-car garage, and was said to be the largest apartment building west of the Mississippi when it was built. The original owner was the Eighth Avenue Apartments, Inc. The developer and builder was Nettleton, Baldwin & Anderson, whose major partner, Walter Nettleton was the founder of the Nettleton Timber Company. Thiis was the first of a series of similar large buildings, including the neary Baldwin (now Horizon House) in 1955 and Grosvenor House (now Wall Street Tower) in the Dennny Regrade area.
The architect was Earl W. Morrison (d. 1955), who was particularly known for his high-rise apartment design. Morrison practiced in Spokane before moving to Seattle in 1926. His major works include the Olive Tower Apartments (1928), Spring Street Apartments (1929), Textile Tower (now the Tower Building, 1930), the Gainsborough (1930), and the Baldwin (now Horizon House, 1955.
There was considerable press coverage of the buildings, including a Seattle Times article saying that construction required 27 carloads of steel, 59 carloads of plaster, we carloads of plumbing materials, 11 carloads of asphalt tile and linoleum, four carloads of appliances, 2,000,000 board feet of timber and 12 miles of wiring. The buildings may have been the first large apartment buildings constructed in compliance with the city's new earthquake code. (Seattle Times 11/15/1949 and 12/10/`1949, Seattle Post-Intelligencer 1/8/1950)
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Appearance |
The Nettleton (now called the 1000 8th Avenue Apartments) consists of two 14-story buildings covering an entire block, nearly 1.5 acres. Each building has an irregular H-shaped plan, with large wings connected by narrow sections, to give each unit maximum light and views. Construction is of reinforced concrete. The buildings are of contemporary design with no ornamentation. Interest is added by the contrasting color of the spandrels between each window, which contrast with the panels between the bays that emphasize the height of the buildings. On each main elevation the center two bays curve outward , with a strong horizontal banding on the spandrels. The spandrels are currently painted dark grey, contrasting with the rest of the building and emphasizing their design importance. Windows are aluminum sliders. The main entry to each building is in the courtyard formed by the H-shape. Entries are simple with steel and glass doors flanked by brick columns and with a contemporary canopy. The first floor is clad with Roman brick. |
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Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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Cladding(s): |
Brick - Roman, Concrete |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
Roof Type(s): |
Flat with Parapet |
Roof Material(s): |
Unknown |
Building Type: |
Domestic - Multiple Family |
Plan: |
Other |
Structural System: |
Concrete - Poured |
No. of Stories: |
fourteen |
Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Community Planning/Development |
Integrity |
Changes to Original Cladding: |
Intact |
Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
Changes to Windows: |
Intact |
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Major Bibliographic References |
Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects. Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, ed. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994.
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King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972.
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City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development, Microfilm Records.
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