Seattle Historical Sites

CONTEXT

Reportedly constructed in 1900, this generally well-preserved wood-frame building was remodeled in 1928; however, it is typical of late-nineteenth construction and is among the oldest historic buildings within the Ballard Avenue Landmark District. The Ballard Avenue Landmark District encompasses a particularly well preserved section of one of several successful small towns that flourished around the perimeter of Seattle in the late nineteenth century and would be subsequently incorporated into the metropolis. Ballard Avenue is lined with an intact collection of modest scale commercial buildings that reflect the development of the community’s main commercial street between 1890 and 1930. The character of this distinctive historic streetscape was primarily preserved because it was by-passed by Post-War era development that instead occurred along modern arterials - Market Street and 15^th Avenue, to the north and east. In 1976, the Ballard Avenue Landmark District was formally designated a local historic district by the City of Seattle and was also listed in the National Register of Historic Places (Ballard Avenue Historic District).

This historic property is directly associated with a crucial era in the commercial and industrial development of Ballard (1900-1907) when the commercial district along Ballard Avenue was fully established and a significant number of permanent buildings were constructed. [It is also associated with the later part of the post annexation era when the commercial district shifted to Market Street.] By the early 1900s Ballard became known as the “Shingle Capital of the World” with approximately twenty lumber and shingle mills in full operation. In addition to the mill operations the industrialized shoreline included iron foundries, machine shops, paint manufactures, shipyards, pipe making plants and boiler works. Substantial commercial buildings were constructed along Ballard Avenue as the local population grew to over 10,000 residents (including 3,400+ school age children) by 1904. During this era Ballard Avenue functioned as a full service commercial street populated by numerous boarding houses, hotels and lodging houses, clothing merchants, banks, hardware dealers, druggists, dry good stores, laundry businesses, meat markets, restaurants, theaters and saloons. Gradually, the earliest wood-frame structures were replaced by more permanent – often architect designed – commercial buildings.  Among the distinctive masonry and stone buildings that date from this era and most of which continue to characterize the streetscape are the G.B. Sanborn Block (1901, Portland Building (1901), Felt Block/Jones Building (1901, demolished), St. Charles Hotel (1902), Deep Sea Fisherman’s Building (1902), Scandinavian American Bank (1902), Matthes Block (1903), Kelsey Block (1903), Junction/Lombardini Block (1904), Kutzner Block (1904), Barthelemy Bros. Hardware Building (c.1904), Ernst Brothers Hardware Building (1904, demolished), A.L. Palmer Building (1905), Theisen Block (1905), Ballard Hardware Supply (1905), Peterson Hardware Co. (c.1905), Markussen Building (1905), and the Enquist Block (1906). In late 1906 Ballard residents approved annexation and the town became part of the City of Seattle on January 1, 1907. The boom era of major commercial construction began to lessen after the annexation.

HISTORY

[aka 5337-5339 Ballard Avenue NW] Efforts to identify the original owner, builder or tenants of this historic property have been unsuccessful. According to historic 1905 insurance maps its original address was 263-265 Ballard Avenue. City directories from 1904-06 indicate that the Tremont Saloon was located at 265 Ballard Avenue, in the NW storefront of the building. According to historic building permit records, by 1909 this building was owned by B. Emerson. The SE side of the building is known to have housed clothier Harry Gottstein’s shop for several decades into the 1920s. By 1928, the building was owned by Jonas Green, who undertook a project to “Remodel Storefront” per an application submitted to the City by contractors Anderson & Manson (Permit #279017 dated 8/11/1928). The construction costs were noted as $1500.00 and the work involved “Wrecking front” and building new brick piers. Work appears to have been completed by August 29^th. The building was purchased by Wm. Anderson 7-9-1937 and housed the Volunteers of America Industrial Store, A-B-C Carpet Cleaners and Square Deal Furniture Exchange. It was subsequently used again as a tavern (SE bay) and as a retail hardware store (NW bay).

INFORMATION SOURCES

Property Record Cards (1937-1972). Washington State Regional Archives, Puget Sound Regional Branch, Bellevue, WA.

“Ballard Avenue Historic District” National Register of Historic Places – Nomination Form (Prepared by Elisabeth Walton Potter, OAHP, April 1976.)

Baist’s Real Estate Atlas of Surveys of Seattle, Wash. Philadelphia: W.G. Baist, 1905, 1912.

Sanborn Insurance Maps, 1884-1951. Digital versions available via Seattle Public Library - www.spl.org.

Altered (intact 1928 remodel) one-story, one-part commercial block façade. Rectangular footprint. Wood-frame structure with brick veneer façade. Wire-cut brick cladding, painted light grey-buff color. Concrete/post & beam foundation. Two partly intact 1928 era storefront bays with recessed central entryways, low brick bulkheads, large display windows and intact transom lights. (NW side has been slightly altered). Simple decorated parapet wall includes basket weave brick panels, low sloped pediment/central crest and stepped end elements. Rear elevation exhibits segmental arched window and door openings indicative of early construction date.