| Historic Name: |
Moses Building/ Sartori Building |
Common Name: |
Moses Building |
| Style: |
Queen Anne - Richardsonian Romanesque |
Neighborhood: |
Pioneer Square |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
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| Significance |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). |
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312 2nd Avenue South, was built for Mrs. Sarah Moses in 1900 and was known as the Moses Building. The original building was designed by the father-son team Thompson and Thompson. By 1905, the building was known as the Sartori Building and continued to be known as the Sartori Building at least until 1912. As originally built, the building was five stories in height and lost its top two floors as a result of the 1949 Earthquake, which damaged or destroyed the cornices and/or top floors of many buildings in the Pioneer Square area. Even though the building has lost its top floors, the composition and detailing of the building are striking. The amount of rusticated stone at the first two levels and the openness of the façade are somewhat unique. Also, on closer inspection, the building has some interesting ornament, including the carved lions’ heads. Despite the loss of upper floors, the building retains a significant amount of its architectural integrity and detailing, and should not be considered a mere “background building,” as it sometimes had been.
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| Appearance |
| This is currently a three story building with only one street facing elevation on Second Avenue South. Its footprint is 60 feet by 108 feet and it has a basement level. The west façade is divided into three bays and up to (and including) the second floor arches is of rusticated as well as smooth stone. The rest of the façade is a buff brick with stone trim used in selected areas. East, north and south walls are of brick. The interior structure is based on a grid of columns: 5 bays in east-west direction and 3 bays in the north-south direction. In the basement, columns are of sandstone and granite. Above the basement, columns are of heavy timber. The floor-ceiling system consists of heavy timber beams with joists and tongue and groove wood floors.
On the exterior, piers, located at each end of the façade on the ground level, have deep bases of rusticated stone, with a molding shape in smooth stone, which allows a transition to the thinner “shaft” of the pier. The “shaft” of the pier is rusticated stone block, topped by a floral capital carved with a distinctive lion’s head. Between stone piers are wood storefronts with transom lights. Trim around arched openings at the second floor is also of rusticated stone. Each rusticated arch also has a carved leaf pattern at its center (where a keystone might be). Surmounting the arched rusticated stone shapes, are thin semi-circular bands in stone, which cross each other. At the center of each stone band and where the band intersects with its neighbor are floral leaf motifs. Window frames are semi-circular and made of wood.
At the third level, the wall is mainly of buff brick. Each bay consists of a row of three trabeated openings outlined by stone trim: There is a continuous sill / belt-course across the façade; lintels are of stone; vertical trim pieces in rusticated stone continue up to what appears to be more recent coping in cast-stone. Windows are double-hung.
Of note and located on the north side of the building is a vestige of wall from a neighboring and now demolished building. Also attached to this wall is a piece of rectangular metal ornament with a floral pattern. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
NR, LR |
| Cladding(s): |
Brick, Stone - Ashlar/cut |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Flat with Parapet |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition |
| Building Type: |
Commercial/Trade - Business |
Plan: |
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| Structural System: |
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No. of Stories: |
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| Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Plan: |
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Storefront: |
Slight |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Moderate |
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Changes to Windows: |
Intact |
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| Major Bibliographic References |
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Baist, William. Baist’s Real Estate Atlas of Surveys of Seattle, Wash. Philadelphia: W. G. Baist, 1905, 1908, 1912 and 1928.
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“The Moses Building – 312-316 2nd Avenue South – Historic Preservation Certification Application – Part 1.” 7 October, 2003.
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Rich, C. “Gallery Restaurant.” in “Department of Community Development, Pioneer Square Preservation District Inventory.” June 1982.
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