Seattle Historical Sites

This large concrete building in the heart of Auto Row is now used by Seattle Central Community College, which has restored it for administrative use while retaining much of its original character.  The Pike/Pine/Broadway vicinity became Seattle’s Auto Row shortly after the first automobile was offered for sale here in 1905.  For the next twenty years virtually all local auto dealers and numerous auto-related businesses were located here.  Nearly every building housed at least one dealership, service garage, parts dealer, paint shop or similar business.  “Auto Row” thrived with the strong economy of the 1920s.   However, the Great Depression of the 1930s led to general stagnation, and the neighborhood changed significantly after World War II.  Broadway High School closed in 1946, replaced by Edison Technical School, a vocational training institution.  Many houses became rentals, often being converted to multifamily or being replaced by institutional uses.  As the suburbs grew, most auto dealerships moved away from the congested city locations, although many parts dealers and service businesses remained.   The 1980s brought new development, as people returned to live in city neighborhoods.  Seattle Central Community College, the successor to Edison, demolished and replaced most of the old high school buildings in the 1970s.  The institution has continued to grow and now has several blocks of renovated and newly-constructed buildings such as this one.