Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 1510-1524 E Olive WAY E / Parcel ID 6848700005 / Inv # CH015

Historic Name: Olive Crest Apartments Common Name: Olive Crest Apartments Style: Commercial Neighborhood: Capitol Hill Built By: Lawton & Moldenhour Year Built: 1924   Significance In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places. In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). This is one of several elegant buildings that anchor this stretch of Olive Way that connects capitol Hill with downtown. It has long housed a variety of neighborhood businesses, including the Olive Crest Market, a library, barbers, cleaners, cafes, a bakery, and radio and appliance repair shops. It is particularly notable for its extensive terra cotta ornamentation. This is one of two adjacent buildings designed in 1924 by Lawton and Moldenhour for the Olive Way Improvement Company. (The other is at 1550 Easy Olive Way.) George W. Lawton and Herman A. Moldenhour were partners between 1922 and 1928, during which time they designed many large apartment buildings, office buildings and institutional structures. One of their best known works is the Fourth and Pike Building (1927). Lawton had come to Seattle from Wisconsin in 1889, when he worked as a draftsman for the firm of Saunders and Houghton. Between 1898 and 1914 he was in partnership with Charles W. Saunders, one of the city's most prominent architects. He practiced on his own from 1915 until 1922, when he completed the design of the Masonic Temple (Egyptian Theater). Moldenhour worked as an office boy for Saunders and Lawton before beginning practice as an architect. Lawton died in 1928, a few years after this building was constructed. Moldenhour practiced independently after his death, and died in 1949.   Appearance This 3-story brick-clad apartment building is triangular to match the shape of the lot. It is heavily ornamented with terra cotta, including a prominent cornice with cast stone medallions incorporating acanthus and shell motifs. Each of the pilasters separating the storefronts is capped with a cast stone medallion with an oak leaf motif. The storefronts are in their original condition, with recessed wood-and-glass doors, large displays windows with transoms and marble bulkheads. The entry to the apartments on the upper floors is an arched doorway heavily ornamented with an oak leaf motif. The entry itself has a fanlight and sidelights of leaded glass. Windows on the second and third floors are six-over-one double hung sash.

Detail for 1510-1524 E Olive WAY E / Parcel ID 6848700005 / Inv # CH015

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Brick Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Flat Roof Material(s): Unknown Building Type: Domestic - Multiple Family Plan: Unknown Structural System: Concrete - Poured No. of Stories: three Unit Theme(s): Commerce Integrity Changes to Plan: Intact Changes to Windows: Intact Changes to Original Cladding: Intact Major Bibliographic References City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records. King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives. Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996. Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, ed. Shaping Seattle Architecture, A Historical Guide to the Architects. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994.

Photo collection for 1510-1524 E Olive WAY E / Parcel ID 6848700005 / Inv # CH015

Photo taken Aug 21, 2001