| Historic Name: |
Robert J. Nolan, Furrier |
Common Name: |
Panache |
| Style: |
Colonial - Colonial Revival |
Neighborhood: |
Capitol Hill |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1946 |
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| Significance |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property appears to meet the criteria of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. |
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This building stands out on Broadway for its clapboard cladding and for its unusual Colonial Revival-influenced details. The building was constructed in 1946 by furrier, Robert J. Nolan. In the 1930s Nolan had purchased a large 1900 Victorian house on this site and converted it into his furrier studio. After the war, he built his own store to suit his needs with a large showroom on the first floor. several smaller showrooms and workrooms and storage in the rear. The small size and colonial details may have been intended to give wealthy clients the feeling of being in their own homes while selecting their purchase. The furrier closed in the 1950s, and the space has since been occupied by an art gallery, an interior decorator, a dentist, and a savings and loan branch. Now it is a clothing boutique.
William J. Bain, Sr., was one of Seattle's most prolific and influential architects. He began his career by apprenticing with local firms, and later obtained his architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1921. Upon returning to Seattle he worked briefly in local offices and in Los Angeles for a year before opening his own practice in 1924. He specialized in residences and apartment buildings, using eclectic elements drawn from the French Provincial, English Tudor and Georgian Revival styles popular in Seattle at the time. Shortly before World War II began, he was one of team of designers responsible for the city's first public housing project, Yesler Terrace. He later went on to war-related projects, including acting as camouflage director for the state of Washington, and large federal projects. After the war he formed a partnership with Harrison Overturf and later with three other architects. The latter firm still exists as NBBJ, one of the largest architectural firms in the world, and one that has had a profound influence on the Seattle skyline. This small commercial building, done shortly after the war, reflects his interest in small-scale and residential designs and the use of revival details.
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| Appearance |
| This small structure has brick cladding on the first floor, with clapboard on the second. The facade is capped by a simple but prominent wood cornice. The second floor has three six-over-six windows with shutters. Below the windows is a wide window box supported by large decorative brackets. The two storefront windows project out, with angled sides, to form display cases for goods. The space above these windows (which are metal sash) is decorated with a round medallion flanked by floral garlands. The storefront entry has green terrazzo flooring. The store entry is a double-leaf wood door with an oversized split pediment above. At the north end of the main facade is an arched entry door leading to the upstairs beauty salon. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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| Cladding(s): |
Brick, Wood - Clapboard |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Flat |
Roof Material(s): |
Unknown |
| Building Type: |
Commercial/Trade - Specialty store |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
two |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Commerce |
| Integrity |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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Changes to Windows: |
Intact |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Intact |
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| Major Bibliographic References |
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City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records.
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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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Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, ed. Shaping Seattle Architecture, A Historical Guide to the Architects. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994.
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