Historic Name: |
National Grocery Company |
Common Name: |
Salvation Army Thrift Store Warehouse |
Style: |
Other - Industrial |
Neighborhood: |
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Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1930 |
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Significance |
In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. |
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The two-story Art Deco style warehouse building was designed and constructed in 1930 by the Austin Company, Engineers and Builders, for the National Grocery Company. The one-story addition on the south side was constructed in 1946 by the Austin Co. and is a separate but connected building currently serving as a thrift store. This is a good example of the type of modern warehouse facility of the early 20th century, and for which the Austin Company was especially known. Located in the former Seattle tidelands area, the warehouse building is associated with the final phase of the historic era of development of the area (Post World War I up to 1930) as a transportation-related industrial and commercial warehouse district. The tidelands were filled through a series of successive grading and fill projects between 1895 and 1929, creating developable land that made the expansion of railroad and port facilities possible and fostering the development of the area for commercial use that supported significant economic progress of the city in the early 20th century. The manufacturing, packaging and distribution of food products represented a significant portion of commercial trade during all phases of the historic commercial development of the area. The National Grocery Company (NGC) was operating as a wholesale grocery firm in Seattle and Portland as early as 1910 when the Seattle warehouse was located at 1000-12 Western Avenue. The firm was owned and managed by partners Julius Lang, I. Lang (Portland), and Benjamin Hoskins at that time. The NGC occupied the entire original warehouse on 4th Ave after its completion in 1930. In 1946 an addition of over 18,000 sq. ft. in area was built. The addition was likely constructed to meet the pent-up demands for food products that had been rationed or had not been available at all during the war. There was a huge increase in the post-war consumer market for such goods, especially as price-controls were lifted on various commodities over the course of the year 1946. In 1949, besides NGC, other occupants included wholesale grocers Lang & Co. and Schwabacher Bros. All three firms were likely members of the Certified Independent Grocers of Washington, which also occupied the building that year. In 1960 over fifteen different independent food producers, brokers and manufacturing agents occupied the buildings, including the Lang & Co. coffee roasters. The Salvation Army purchased the buildings in 1970. The Austin Company was founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1878. In 1904, the company became the first to offer architectural design, engineering, and construction management services as a complete contract package. They pioneered the use of standardized and modular pre-fabricated building technology which they successfully implemented as a significant military contractor during Word War I. They quickly became an international leader in automotive and aviation facilities construction and pioneered the use of electric welding techniques to build the first all-welded steel frame building in Cleveland in 1928. They continued their success providing significant construction services for military and industrial facilities during World War II in both the U.S. and abroad. The firm currently maintains numerous offices worldwide and its Seattle office continues a long-standing relationship with the Boeing Company. Examples of extant buildings in Seattle designed by the firm include the Frye Warehouses and the NePage McKenney Co. / Pacific Fish Co. Warehouse (c. 1928), all in the Seattle Tidelands area, the third addition to the Metropolitan/ Richmond Laundry (Seattle City Landmark) in the Cascade neighborhood, and the cold storage warehouse for the U.S. Navy Supply Depot (now CityIce) in Interbay.
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Appearance |
The building is largely intact and is a good example of early 20th century industrial architecture. It is a large warehouse, covering almost 70,000 square feet of the lot and providing two stories of interior space. It is characterized by Art Deco detailing and the clearly articulated structural bays. The bays on the west elevation are composed of twelve vertical central bays with large steel sash industrial windows with protruding concrete sills, divided by piers. Corner bays have similar windows grouped in threes and the entry is located in the northwest corner bay. The entry is recessed with a double door and Art Deco detailing above.The exterior of the west elevation retains its original stucco cladding. The north elevation is dominated by the covered loading platform that extends across the entire north side which appears to be original. Cladding on the north elevation is painted brick. All of the windows appear to be original. The addition on the south side, which is set back from the west elevation of the larger, older building, is dominated by a cantilevered metal awning that extends across the west elevation. Four large openings, which were originally loading bays with roll-up doors, contain large plate-glass windows, two of which have entry doors inset on the north and south ends.
Sources: “Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium Project, Vol. 3: Specialized Technical Information,” Seattle, WA: Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium Public Facilities District. August, 1996.
The Austin Company website; http://www.theaustin.com
Boyle, Susan, et al. “Port of Seattle Terminal 30/Pier 91 DEIS, Historic & Cultural Resources.” Seattle, WA: BOLA Architecture + Planning, July, 2006.
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Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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Cladding(s): |
Brick, Concrete |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
Roof Type(s): |
Flat with Parapet |
Roof Material(s): |
Unknown |
Building Type: |
Commercial/Trade - Warehouse |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
Structural System: |
Concrete - Poured |
No. of Stories: |
two |
Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Commerce, Manufacturing/Industry |
Integrity |
Changes to Plan: |
Slight |
Changes to Windows: |
Intact |
Changes to Original Cladding: |
Slight |
Storefront: |
Intact |
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Major Bibliographic References |
King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives.
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Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.
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City of Seattle DPD Microfilm Records.
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