Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 321 Broadway / Parcel ID 6850700380 / Inv # CH018

Historic Name: Rehan Apartments Common Name: Casa del Rey Style: Commercial Neighborhood: Capitol Hill Built By: S. R. Rice Year Built: 1910   Significance This four-story brick building is one of the largest and oldest in the Broadway commercial district. It was built by G. Nahir in 1910, only a few years after the street was paved in 1903. Its architecture, with bay windows, reflects this early date. The building, originally known as the Rehan Apartments, was also quite far north, as the center of Broadway activity at that time was several blocks to the south, closer to Broadway High School at the corner of East Pine street. Relatively few mixed-use buildings were constructed in the commercial area; most apartment buildings here were located on quieter streets, with Broadway being mostly one-to-two story structures. The elegance of this building, particularly the entryway, indicates that Broadway was considered a desirable place to live at that time.   Appearance This four-story brick masonry building is three bays wide, with distinctive three-story suspended semi-hexagonal window bays on each side of the main (east) façade. The center bay is open, with a recessed porch on each of the top three floors. The porches have decorative black metal railings, The entry is in the center bay, with marble stairs, an oak door with a transom and sidelights, and white tile walls. The floor of the entry has white hexagonal tiles with the word Rehan in green tiles. At the top of the building is a wide modillioned cornice with a row of corbelled brick dentils below,. The front corners have brick quoins. Cladding is primarily brick, painted white, with stucco on the window bays and on the south elevation. Also on the south, which faces a parking lot, is a covered stairway structure with an espresso stand; it is difficult to tell whether this is part of the main structure or separate. Windows are one-over-one with newer vinyl sash. The storefronts have their original configuration with recessed entries and transoms, but the windows and doors have been modernized.

Detail for 321 Broadway / Parcel ID 6850700380 / Inv # CH018

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Brick, Stucco Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Flat Roof Material(s): Unknown Building Type: Domestic - Multiple Family Plan: Rectangular Structural System: Masonry - Unreinforced No. of Stories: four Unit Theme(s): Commerce, Community Planning/Development Integrity Changes to Plan: Intact Changes to Windows: Slight Changes to Original Cladding: Slight Major Bibliographic References Williams, Jacqueline B. The Hill with a Future: Seattle's Capitol Hill 1900-1946. Seattle: CPK Ink, 2001. King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives. Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.

Photo collection for 321 Broadway / Parcel ID 6850700380 / Inv # CH018

Photo taken Aug 20, 2001