Historic Name: |
Boone & Company Pontiac |
Common Name: |
Blick's Art Supplies |
Style: |
Beaux Arts - American Renaissance |
Neighborhood: |
Pike/Pine |
Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1925 |
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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. |
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This is one of the largest and most elaborate of the auto showroom buildings, located at the prominent intersection of Broadway and Pine Street (1600 Broadway and 900 E Pine St), just across from the heart of the neighborhood, Broadway High School (now the site of Seattle Central Community college). It was built in 1925 as a Pontiac dealership, Boone & Company. Pontiacs were among the most expensive cars of the day, so their dealerships were among the most ornate. It was later a Durant dealership and then the headquarters of AEI Music; it is now an art supplies store.
The Pike/Pine/Broadway vicinity became Seattle’s Auto Row shortly after the first automobile was offered for sale here in 1905. For the next twenty years virtually all local auto dealers and numerous auto-related businesses were located here. Nearly every building housed at least one dealership, service garage, parts dealer, paint shop or similar business. “Auto Row” thrived with the strong economy of the 1920s, when this showroom was built. However, the Great Depression of the 1930s led to general stagnation, and the neighborhood changed significantly after World War II. Broadway High School closed in 1946, replaced by Edison Technical School, a vocational training institution. As the suburbs grew, most auto dealerships moved away from the congested city locations, although many parts dealers and service businesses remained. The 1980s brought new development, as people returned to live in city neighborhoods. Seattle Central Community College, the successor to Edison, demolished and replaced most of the old high school buildings in the 1970s. In the past ten years the Pike/Pine corridor has developed as a residential and entertainment center with numerous apartments and businesses in new and renovated buildings like this one.
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Appearance |
This large building is clad primarily in cream-colored terra cotta, and is distinguished by the three two-story arched windows on the Broadway (west) façade. There is extensive terra cotta ornament, with floral garlands between the arches and above the second floor windows. The original "Boone & Co." sign is still apparent above the main entrance; above it is a terra cotta medallion. An unusually large percentage of the façade is glazing. The second floor has very large tripartite windows, in a 18-over-6 configuration flanked by 9-over-3 sash. The large display windows on the first floor are covered with dark film, which gives them a modern appearance; however, the transoms and window surrounds are original. The steel-and glass entry door is new. The original garage entry on the south elevation has been filled in with new windows and stucco cladding. The rear elevation, facing Lincoln Reservoir, is largely intact, with multipane sash and brick cladding. |
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Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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Cladding(s): |
Stucco, Terra cotta |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
Roof Type(s): |
Flat with Parapet |
Roof Material(s): |
Unknown |
Building Type: |
Transportation - Road- Related |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
Structural System: |
Concrete - Poured |
No. of Stories: |
two |
Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Commerce, Transportation |
Integrity |
Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
Changes to Windows: |
Slight |
Changes to Original Cladding: |
Intact |
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Major Bibliographic References |
Williams, Jacqueline B. The Hill with a Future: Seattle's Capitol Hill 1900-1946. Seattle: CPK Ink, 2001.
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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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