| Historic Name: |
Redding Hall/Queen Anne Hall |
Common Name: |
Behnke Center for Contemporary Performance |
| Style: |
Commercial |
Neighborhood: |
Queen Anne |
| Built By: |
Hans Pederson |
Year Built: |
1912 |
| |
| 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. |
|
In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). |
|
|
This building at the foot of Queen Anne hill has a notable history. It was constructed in 1912 at a cost of $12,000 as an assembly hall with storefronts on the first floor. The original owner was Hans Pederson, who is also listed on the building permit as the builder and designer of the building. It was initially known as Redding Hall, and was a popular location for dances and other activities. it remained a dance hall and lodge room during the 1920s and into the 1930s; during this time the name was changed to Queen Anne Hall. In 1942 the building was owned by the Boiler Makers Union, who used it as a union hall and offices; some alterations were made, including adding exits. In 1962, the owner, J.R. Kennedy, used the first floor as a temporary dormitory during the Century 21 Exposition. Shortly afterwards, in 1965 the building was acquired by one of Seattle's earliest major theater companies, A Contemporary Theater (ACT). They remodeled the hall for theater use. In 1998 it was acquired by another arts organization, On the Boards, for modern dance presentations. The name was changed to the Behnke Center for Contemporary Performance in honor of a donor. The first floor has had a variety of small businesses, including a drugstore, a creamery, small cafes and the theater ticket office.
The building largely retains its original appearance, although several modifications have been made. The main entry stairs have been reconfigured to face north. In addition, the storefronts on West Roy Street have been modernized; a small window at the north end of this elevation has also been removed.
|
|
| |
| Appearance |
| This brick-clad building is two stories, with the main entrance on the east elevation, on 1st Avenue West. The relatively steep slope to the north allows for a half-story on West Roy Street, where the storefronts are located. The building has a broad cornice with paired modillions at intervals. The main theater entrance, with a prominent gabled roof, is reached by newer concrete stairs, approached form the north. A secondary entrance, with a smaller gabled hood, is at the north end of the same elevation. Windows on the east elevation are predominately tripartite windows with larger six-over-one sash flanked by smaller similar windows. Windows on the south elevation are mostly six-over-one double-hung sash, singly or in pairs; the upper floor has smaller multipaned canopy windows. The storefronts have been modernized with new steel and glass and stucco cladding. |
|
|
| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
|
| Cladding(s): |
Brick, Stucco |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Flat |
Roof Material(s): |
Unknown |
| Building Type: |
Social - Meeting Hall |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
| Structural System: |
Balloon Frame/Platform Frame |
No. of Stories: |
two & ½ |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Arts, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Integrity |
|
Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
|
Changes to Windows: |
Slight |
|
Changes to Original Cladding: |
Slight |
|
| Major Bibliographic References |
|
City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records.
|
|
King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives.
|
|
Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.
|
|
Reinartz, Kay F. Queen Anne: Community on the Hill. Seattle: Queen Anne Historical Society, 1993.
|
|
|
