| Historic Name: |
Harlan Fairbanks Company |
Common Name: |
Harlan Fairbanks Company |
| Style: |
Art Deco |
Neighborhood: |
Ballard Interbay Manufacturing Industrial Center |
| Built By: |
George Wellington Stoddard |
Year Built: |
1931 |
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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 notable for its distinctive Art Deco form and detailing, uncommon in local industrial buildings. The delicate floral ornament incised in the concrete is particularly notable. The concrete building was constructed in 1931 for the Williams Company, a potato chip manufacturer. By 1960, it was the northwest headquarters of the Frito Company, a corn chip manufacturer. In the 1970s it became a warehouse for the Harlan Fairbanks Company, a local wholesale distributor of popcorn and other concession items. In the 1990s the company moved to larger quarters and the building is mostly vacant at this time.
George Wellington Stoddard practiced in partnership with his father, Lewis Stoddard, from 1920 to 1929, and had his own practice until 1955, when he entered a partnership with Francis Huggard. His best known works are the Green Lake Aqua Theater, Memorial Stadium at Seattle Center, and the south stands of Husky Stadium. However, he also designed many larger homes and a wide variety of commercial structures such as banks, apartment buildings and clinics.
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| Appearance |
| This concrete industrial building is one story at grade with a second story below grade, accessible from the parking lot on the south side. The two main elevations (east and south) have large 12-light metal industrial sash; these may be newer replacements but are similar to the original sash. The main feature is a two-story pylon with a stepped form, located toward the north end of the east façade, with windows and fluting emphasizing the verticality. In contrast to this verticality, the area below the windows has widely-spaced horizontal reveals. Narrowly-spaced horizontal reveals also form a band above the windows. This band is ornamented with incised floral motifs at intervals. Similar but larger floral ornament is incised at the same level on the pylon. The main entry has the original wood-and-glass doors, sheltered by a small concrete canopy. Three other doorways with similar original doors are on the lowever level, along with two garage doors. |
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