Seattle Historical Sites

Summary for 1915 Rainier AVE / Parcel ID 1498302390 / Inv # RV001

Historic Name: Potlatch Market Common Name: Concepts in Wood Style: Commercial Neighborhood: North Rainier Valley Built By: Year Built: 1925   Significance This brick building was originally constructed to accommodate three stores, but by the mid-1930s it had just one large store, the Potlatch Market. The building was set back from the street, with folding doors that could opened up for produce to be displayed in a large open-air market on the sidewalk. In the 1950s the store ceased to be a market and became a surplus store, Rainier Surplus Exchange. In 1956 an enclosure, largely glass, was built over the open space in front. The building has been an unfinished furniture store, under several different names, since 1960.   Appearance This is a long building constructed to fit a triangular lot, with 82 feet of frontage on Rainier Avenue South. The original stucco-clad brick structure has a gabled parapet with tall pilasters piercing the cornice line. The south elevation is clad with vertical board siding and has two small windows with wood sash. The rear (west) elevation is clad with clapboard, with four wood secondary doors and four small four-light windows with original wood sash. The front addition, considerably shorter than the brick parapet, is almost entirely glass set in wood sash, with double-leaf wood doors and a large sliding glass door.

Detail for 1915 Rainier AVE / Parcel ID 1498302390 / Inv # RV001

Status: Yes - Inventory Classication: Building District Status: Cladding(s): Brick, Stucco, Vertical - Boards, Wood - Clapboard Foundation(s): Concrete - Poured Roof Type(s): Flat Roof Material(s): Unknown Building Type: Commercial/Trade - Specialty store Plan: Unknown Structural System: Masonry - Unreinforced No. of Stories: one Unit Theme(s): Commerce, Social Movements & Organizations Integrity Changes to Plan: Slight Changes to Windows: Slight Changes to Original Cladding: Intact Changes to Interior: Moderate Major Bibliographic References King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives. Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.

Photo collection for 1915 Rainier AVE / Parcel ID 1498302390 / Inv # RV001

Photo taken Aug 16, 2002