| Historic Name: |
Reo Northwest Sales |
Common Name: |
427 9th Avenue North |
| Style: |
Commercial |
Neighborhood: |
South Lake Union |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1928 |
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| Significance |
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This building has lost a significant amount of original detailing and fabric and is non-contributing.
The building was erected in 1928. The façade follows the same design prototype and detailing of several one story warehouses in the South Lake Union neighborhood, most of which were designed by architect W. R. Grant during the same period. The building retains enough of its exterior material and detailing that it is recognizable as a possible design by W. R. Grant, but no drawings were found to prove that he was the architect. It also appears that the building originally had a central raised gable parapet, (typical of many of these warehouses), which is either covered by the boxlike construction, but might well have been demolished. In addition, original storefront at the second to fourth bays is either hidden by wooden boards or has been demolished, while clerestories have clearly been demolished at the second and third bays.
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| Appearance |
| 427 9th Avenue N is located to the south of and adjoins the property on the southwest corner of 9th Avenue North and Republican Street. Its footprint is sixty feet by one hundred and twenty feet, with the short dimension parallel to 9th Avenue North. The building was designed as a one story warehouse and has only one street facing elevation along 9th Avenue North, clad mainly in brick, while the other exterior walls are clearly of concrete block. The building has a flat roof with parapet, although the top of the parapet is currently covered by a wood box-like construction; however most of the façade retains its original rug brick cladding and cast-stone trim.
The façade is divided into four bays by engaged piers, which have cast stone or concrete bases and cast-stone capitals, with shafts clad in the predominant brown rug brick. The face of the each capital is distinguished by a flat rectangle in cast-stone, with a smaller rectangle, inset within it. The design and configuration of the entire facade is similar to many one story warehouse buildings in the same neighborhood, which typically feature storefront glazing with multi-pane clerestories. Highlighting the center of the façade, which occurs at the centerline of the third pilaster, is a cast-stone cartouche. Above the center of each of the side bays, are cast-stone rectangles with a repeated ornamental design, consisting of a central diamond-shape, with pairs of symmetrically placed, facing scroll shapes, set above and below the diamond. Additional floral patterns embellish the elements of this design.
While the ornamental elements of the façade are intact, based on an historical photograph and field observation, obvious changes have made to storefront areas: the south bay has always been an entry, but a new doorway and glazing have been inserted in place of what appear in the photograph to have been double wooden doors. Storefront glazing in the other bays has been replaced or covered over by vertical wooden boards. At the second and third bays, the area where there were once clerestory lights has been opened up and wood planters have been set in the opening. The northern bay, including the clerestory area, has also been filled in with vertical wooden boards. |
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