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Summary for 4411 CALIFORNIA AVE / Parcel ID 2403140010 / Inv # 0

Historic Name: Irwin Chiropractic Clinic Common Name: Courtesy Accounting
Style: Art Deco - Streamline Moderne Neighborhood: West Seattle Junction
Built By: Year Built: 1947
 
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.

This building, constructed in 1947, is associated with World War II-era development of the West Seattle Junction business district. It appears to be intact and is a very good example of the Streamline Moderne style; it retains such key features as a glass block window, a curved concrete canopy over the entry, and canted entryway walls. The building was built in 1947 as the Irwin Chiropractic Clinic, and remained in that use through the 160s.  It now houses an accounting firm. Architect Theodore Damm later worked in the International Style, including buildings such as the Seattle Municipal Building.

The Junction, West Seattle's primary commercial district, acquired its name in 1907 when a new street car line on California Avenue SW was extended south to Fauntleroy Park, crossing the Admiral streetcar line at SW Alaska Street. West Seattle, incorporated as a city in 1902, had built the Admiral line--the nation’s first municipally-owned streetcar line. At first, the Junction was just a swamp with a few real estate offices, but in 1907 West Seattle voted to be annexed to Seattle. Enhanced transportation and new amenities, accompanied by heavy promotion, encouraged a real estate boom, with new residents rapidly buying lots and building homes. Jefferson School opened in 1912, and had to be expanded in 1917. The 1920s brought significant growth, with major stores such as Ernst Hardware, Bartell Drugs, a J. C. Penney department store and two "five and dimes"--Woolworth's and Kress. Although development slowed during the Depression, the proximity of defense industries brought many new residents during World War II.  The Junction thrived into the 1950s with several modern retail buildings and larger stores. By the 1980s, however, competition from shopping malls made the Junction's stores less competitive. J.C. Penney left in 1987 and many other retailers selling common items such as clothing closed, generally replaced by restaurants, bars and service businesses. In 1985, a large retail/office/residential project was built on the former site of Jefferson Elementary School. In the early 1990s, the City of Seattle adopted a comprehensive plan that focused growth in "urban villages," including the Junction. By 2010, numerous single-story buildings were being replaced by six-story mixed-use structures with underground parking, significantly changing the district’s character.

 

 

 

 
Appearance
This rectangular building is brick masonry clad with stucco. The cornice is marked by fluting, typical of the streamline Moderne style. The entry is enclosed by a concrete canopy with brick side walls that slant down to the ground. At the southeast corner glass block fills the rounded corner; above it is a curved concrete canopy. Most windows have original aluminum sash with three horizontal-divided lights, typical of the 1940s. The first floor has one large aluminum-framed window. Some windows in the rear have wood sash.

Detail for 4411 CALIFORNIA AVE / Parcel ID 2403140010 / Inv # 0

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: Commercial/Trade - Professional Plan: Rectangular
Structural System: Masonry - Unreinforced No. of Stories: two
Unit Theme(s): Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Commerce, Health/Medicine
Integrity
Changes to Plan: Intact
Changes to Windows: Intact
Changes to Original Cladding: Intact
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.

Photo collection for 4411 CALIFORNIA AVE / Parcel ID 2403140010 / Inv # 0


Photo taken Aug 17, 2015
App v2.0.1.0