Historic Name: |
Irwin Chiropractic Clinic |
Common Name: |
Courtesy Accounting |
Style: |
Art Deco - Streamline Moderne |
Neighborhood: |
West Seattle Junction |
Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1947 |
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
Classication: |
Building |
District Status: |
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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 |
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Major Bibliographic References |
City of Seattle DCLU Microfilm Records.
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King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives.
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Polk's Seattle Directories, 1890-1996.
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