Seattle Historical Sites

This 4-story brick-clad apartment building was constructed in 1929, according to the 1937 King County Assessor property card, in the Uptown neighborhood. The building, known as the Buena Vista had 17 apartment units, 14 two-room apartments and three 3-room apartments.  

Constructed in 1929, this brick clad apartment building is located midblock on the east side of First Avenue W between W Mercer and W Roy Streets. The 4-story building has a rectangular plan and stands on a poured concrete foundation. The building is clad in brick veneer with terra cotta ornamentation. The building has a flat roof with a parapet. The parapet is highlighted by a terra cotta coping and vertical pieces that end in finials. The main entrance is located on the south (side) elevation, on the first bay to the east from the west, street-facing elevation. A 1-story arched wing wall with an arched doorway provides access from the sidewalk to the building’s main entrance. The main entrance features a wood door flanked by leaded glass sidelights. The front door has 9-lite leaded glass above a lower wood panel. Fluted terra cotta mullions separate the door from the sidelights and frame the rest of the entrance. A terra cotta lintel caps the entrance and has “Buena Vista” in relief. Windows are a mix of wood sash with leaded glass uppers and casements. The casements are a mixture of paired casements and casements flanking fixed sash windows.  The northern most bay on the west (street-facing) elevation has a trio of paired casements, vertically aligned. The leaded glass wood windows provide light between floors and are likely present at the location of a stairwell. Wood panel spandrel panels separate the windows.

The building retains good integrity and is a typical example of a brick apartment building from its period of construction.