| Historic Name: |
Klose Inn Motel |
Common Name: |
Klose Inn Motel |
| Style: |
Roadside, Vernacular |
Neighborhood: |
Aurora-Licton |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1930 |
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| Significance |
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This is one of Seattle's earliest motels. Although cladding and windows have been updated, it still retains much of its original plan and character.
With the opening of the George Washington Bridge and the speedway through Woodland Park in 1932, Aurora Avenue North became a major highway, part of the national highway system's Pacific Highway, extending from Canada to Mexico. Accordingly, the road quickly came to be lined with businesses catering to tourists, particularly motels and cafes. The earliest facilities were literally camps where auto travelers could camp in a tent; these first appeared in the Seattle directory in 1928. Soon afterwards, small cottages with carports were provided; these were known as auto courts. By 1932, five auto courts on Aurora were listed in the Seattle directory. As land became more valuable, the original garage spaces were filled in for more units, with cars parked along the side or in the center of a U-shaped building like this one. Most of these early motels have been either demolished of completely redeveloped.
The Klose-In opened in 1930. The 1937 Tax Assessor photo shows a front gable bungalow with a semi-enclosed recessed porch, topped by a large sign saying "Klose Inn Auto Court." This building at the sidewalk served as a grocery store as well as the office. Behind the office were small cottages with adjacent garages. In 1950 the bungalow porch was completely enclosed, but Craftsman details such as the knee brackets were retained; the cottages were re-clad with asbestos siding. The existing neon sign was installed about this time.
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| Appearance |
| This complex, located on Tax Lot 34, consists of an office building/residence near the sidewalk with motel units arranged in a U shape around a parking lot. The office retains its original bungalow configuration, but is now clad with Roman brick below the windows and vertical board siding above, added in 1950. The four windows, however, are original wood sash; three of them have six lights. At the front is one wood door and one of wood and glass. The north elevation is largely original with six-light wood sash, some with leaded glass. The south elevation has asbestos siding and aluminum sash. A small addition has recently been built at the rear, with vinyl windows and cladding. Also at the rear are concrete steps to a basement laundry room. The motel units appear little changed, with a gabled hood over each entry, a stepped parapet and asbestos cladding from the 1950s. Windows have also been updated. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Brick - Roman, Shingle - Concrete/Asbestos, Veneer- Vinyl Siding, Vertical - Boards |
Foundation(s): |
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| Roof Type(s): |
Gable |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition |
| Building Type: |
Domestic - Hotel |
Plan: |
U-Shape |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
one |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Transportation |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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Changes to Windows: |
Slight |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Slight |
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| Major Bibliographic References |
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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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Sheridan, Mimi and Carol Tobin. Licton Springs History, 2001.
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