| Historic Name: |
Bocker Building |
Common Name: |
Value Village |
| Style: |
Commercial - Chicago School |
Neighborhood: |
Pike/Pine |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1917 |
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| Significance |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). |
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This building was constructed as an automobile garage with space for auto-related stores on the first floor. In 1937 the tenants were Dewey's Motor Service and Sunset Electric Company. The second floor was a factory for the U. S. Garment Company in the 1940s, with an auto parts dealer on the first floor. In 1968 it became part of the main store of Recreation Equipment Incorporated (REI), a unique Seattle-based cooperative that pioneered the development, manufacture and sales of mountaineering and outdoors equipment. By the 1980s, the company had taken over several buildings in the immediate area, many connected by internal passages. The first floor of this building was remodeled to be the main entrance. When the company moved to a larger flagship store in the Eastlake neighborhood, this became a thrift store, Value Village.
The architect, Julian Everett arrived in Seattle in 1904 and practiced here until 1922, sometimes with W. R. B. Willcox. Among his noted works are the Pioneer Square pergola (1908), Pilgrim Congregational Church on Broadway (1905-06) and the original Temple de Hirsch.
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. A unique building type was developed for urban auto dealerships. They were fireproof buildings of concrete or brick masonry, with showrooms with large display windows to showcase the merchandise, and driveways to provide auto storage in the rear. Interior ramps or large freight elevators were used to get autos to second floor garages or service areas. Upper floor windows were large, typical of the Chicago school of commercial building design. Many of the buildings, like this one, were ornate, with extensive terra cotta ornament.
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| Appearance |
| This two-story building is of reinforced concrete, clad with red brick and stucco. The highly-ornamented second floor is intact, with a distinctive arched parapet inset with a mosaic of green ceramic tile. The spandrel between floors is clad with stucco with a band of similar green tiles, with large decorative medallions at intervals. The second-floor windows are notably large multipaned industrial sash with pivoting side sections. Most of the first floor has been significantly remodeled with new sash and doors, although the north storefront still has its original wood sash and transom. The first floor is currently covered by large fabric canopy. |
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