National Register of Historic Places

Holyoke Building

Seattle, King County, Washington
Listed
June 2, 1976
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
76001888

About this property

The Holyoke Building (or Holyoke Block) is a historic building located in downtown Seattle, Washington. It is a substantial five story brick structure with stone trimmings. Construction began at the corner of First Avenue and Spring Streets just before the Great Seattle fire of 1889. Completed in early 1890, it was among the first permanent buildings completed and ready for occupancy in downtown Seattle following the fire. Today the Holyoke Building is one of the very few such buildings still standing in Seattle outside of the Pioneer Square district and is a historic remnant of the northward expansion of Seattle's business district between the time of the great fire and the Yukon Gold Rush in 1897. The Holyoke Building housed many social and artistic clubs and organizations throughout its history. As early as 1895 it housed the Conservatory of Arts on the top floor. Later in the 1920s the Seattle Musical Club brought many local artists and musicians together in the building and other private and social clubs shared the building with toiletry manufactures and offices. The Holyoke Building is a subdued example of the Victorian Commercial style with elements of Romanesque style and remains almost completely intact from when it was built even down to the storefronts, which had been altered over time but have now been restored. It is the only known existing work of architects Thomas Bird and George Dornbach, whose brief partnership had ended before the building was even completed. Following the restoration of the building in 1975 by the building's owner Harbor Properties, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and became a City of Seattle Landmark in 1978.

Location

1018--1022 1st Ave.
Seattle, King County, Washington
47.60550, -122.33603

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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The Civil War
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Globe Building, Beebe Building and Hotel Cecil
Industrial
0 mi
Grand Pacific Hotel
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0.1 mi
National Building
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0.1 mi
Colonial Hotel
Colonial
0.1 mi
Federal Office Building
Early Republic
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Puget Sound War — Battle of Seattle (January 26, 1856)
1856Indian Wars
0.2 mi
Yakama War — Battle of Seattle
1856Indian Wars
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Holyoke Building listed on the National Register?

Holyoke Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 2, 1976.

What type of historic resource is Holyoke Building?

Holyoke Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Holyoke Building?

The period of significance for Holyoke Building is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Holyoke Building?

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