Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 171 S Washington ST S / Parcel ID 5247800675 / Inv #

Historic Name: McCowan Block (western structure) Common Name: McCoy's Tavern Style: Commercial, Queen Anne, Queen Anne - Richardsonian Romanesque Neighborhood: Pioneer Square Built By: Year Built: 1890   Significance In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). According to King County Tax Assessor’s Records, this “building,” made up of two structures in fact, dates from 1895, although this is probably the date of the corner buff brick structure. Other documentation gives a later date of 1898. Historic photos in the Washington State Archives show a three story building in the location of the eastern buff brick portion of the building, which is built up over a one story building, which resembles the red brick portion. Documentation concerning the red brick section, which seems older and more in keeping with district buildings from the early 1890s, suggests that this portion was in fact constructed in 1890 by David and Mary McCowan. They leased the property from 1877 to 1893 and constructed a building on it in 1890. From 1894 to 1899, they also owned the property. The narrow, buff brick, one story eastern building was owned by Louis Pearl and heirs from 1924 to 1995. It also seems to be the remnant of what was once a three story building that in the early 1930s was a hotel and had a drug store facing Second Avenue South. Both buildings lost their upper floors as a result of the 1949 Earthquake. The area in which the building is located was hit hard by the more recent 2001 Nisqually Earthquake. It suffered severe damage, but the present owners of the bar/restaurant it houses, McCoy’s Restaurant, were able to restore their property, thanks to loans from Historic Seattle Preservation and Development Authority and the Seattle Community Capital Development Corporation, an independent company which provides loans and technical support to Seattle’s small businesses.   Appearance This is a one story brick building, originally made up of two structures, with a brick foundation and exterior wall and an original post and beam interior. The building(s) footprint is rectangular. The exterior is mainly clad in buff/gray brick, with a western bay mainly in red brick and with a separate corbel band on Washington Street. This red brick section also has a low stone base and was originally part of an earlier structure. The eastern, second bay along Washington Street is in buff brick and its parapet also extends over the red brick section. Both elevations have storefronts, which have wood frames, and although in keeping with historic wood frame storefronts, are obviously new. A distinguishing feature of these basically simple one story structures is a projecting decorative brick band on the buff brick clad structure, that includes a row of header bricks set at angles.

Detail for 171 S Washington ST S / Parcel ID 5247800675 / Inv #

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: NR, LR Cladding(s): Brick, Stone, Wood Foundation(s): Brick, Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Flat, Flat with Parapet Roof Material(s): Unknown Building Type: Domestic - Hotel Plan: Rectangular Structural System: Masonry - Unreinforced No. of Stories: one Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Commerce Integrity Changes to Plan: Moderate Changes to Original Cladding: Slight Storefront: Moderate Major Bibliographic References King County Tax Assessor Records, ca. 1932-1972. Lange, Greg and Tim O’Brian. “Virtual Pioneer Square,” unpublished manuscript, 27 October 1996. City of Seattle, Department of Neighborhoods, Historic Preservation Program files.

Photo collection for 171 S Washington ST S / Parcel ID 5247800675 / Inv #

Photo taken Jun 08, 2004