| Historic Name: |
Keefe Building |
Common Name: |
Children's Corner Learning Center |
| Style: |
Commercial |
Neighborhood: |
Columbia City |
| Built By: |
unknown |
Year Built: |
1907 |
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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 is the south gateway to the historic Rainier Valley community of Hillman City. Hillman City was platted by a notorious reach estate developer, Clarence D. Hillman. Hillman arrived in Seattle just in time for the prosperity following the 1897 gold rush. He specialized in subdividing and selling logged-off land, often making fanciful claims about the value of the property. By 1902 he had sold 7,000 lots throughout the city, including those in Hillman City, which was outside the city limits at that time. He became very wealthy, but in 1911 was convicted of fraud relating to his real estate activities.
This building was constructed in 1907, in the early years of the valley's development. It was owned for many years by J. F. Keefe, who purchased it in 1938. Keefe's Grocery was in the corner location until the 1960s. It is currently a child care center.
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| Appearance |
| This two-story brick apartment/commercial building has a distinctive corner entry with a semicircular bay supported by a pair of round columns. The rest of the building is simple, with a dentillated brick belt course between the two floors. The corner storefront, now a daycare center, has newer steel display windows with a concrete bulkhead. The pilasters are ornamented with simple capitols and a ball detail, which is also found on the underside of the upper window frames.
The apartment entry at the north end of the main (east) elevation, has a wood-and glass door topped with a fanlight. The north storefront is altered with newer display windows and door. Second floor windows are one-over-one wood sash with wide wood surrounds. Windows on the south elevation are original wood sash, with a double-hung window toward the rear and two three-light windows and a large display window toward the street corner. The rear elevation has an exterior rear staircase. |
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