Constructed in 1890 and known as the Squire-Latimer Building for many years, this ornate brick building was the home of Seattle's Grand Central Hotel (1897-1933). Like many luxury hotels, the Grand Central did not outlast the lean years of the Great Depression. The building is now home to a two-story indoor retail area known as the Grand Central Arcade.
Constructed in 1890 as the Squire-Latimer Building, this office building soon became home to Seattle's Grand Central Hotel. The business accommodated travelers passing through Seattle on their way to the gold rush in Canada following the start of the Klondike Gold Rush which began in 1896 when gold was discovered in a tributary in Canada's Yukon Territory. In the first year, an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people traveled to the Yukon to strike it rich finding gold. A portion of the tens of thousands traveling through port cities went through Seattle. This marker shares the history of the hotel which operated for several decades and serves as a reminder of the impact of the gold rush on the city's history.
Completed in 1892 and home to Seattle's first bank, this building was named in honor of David "Doc" Maynard, who is often referred to as the "Founding Father" of Seattle. The building was known as the Dexter Horton Bank building prior to the 1920s. Horton established his bank in 1870, a firm that later became part of the Seattle First National Bank.
The Pioneer Building, Pergola and Totem Pole tell of a time when Pioneer Square was the heart of Seattle. These three landmarks offer an unusual conglomeration that represents Seattle’s unique history. Their origins differ- built on the site of the home of a founding father of Seattle (1892), constructed as a place to wait for a street car (1909), stolen from Alaska (1790), respectively. Time has altered the Pioneer Building, Pergola, and the Totem Pole, just as it has Seattle.
The landmarks building within Seattle's Pioneer Square, this Richardsonian Romanesque stone building was completed in 1892- three years after the Great Seattle Fire of 1889 destroyed thirty-two square blocks of the nascent city. The building features terra cotta and red brick and was the tallest building in the state until 1904. The building has reflected the larger history of the city during the past century. During the mining boom in the Klondike, for example, over thirty mining companies held offices in the building. During the era of Prohibition, the city's largest and most infamous "speakeasy" kept Seattle residents supplied with illicit spirits. The building was completely vacant in the late 1970s as most of the businesses moved to newer buildings north of Pioneer Square. When the Pioneer Building was threatened with demolition (a fate shared by many nearby buildings) Seattle residents worked to place the building on the National Register of Historic Places. This effort began in the 1970s and spearheaded the drive to restore the neighborhood.
One of the most popular tourist attractions in the city, Seattle Underground offers guided tours though a series of tunnels below the streets and buildings of the historic Pioneer Square Neighborhood. The tunnels are the result of raising the height of the city streets in response to the need to provide better drainage for waste water. Rather than physically lifting buildings as occurred in some cities, officials in Seattle decided to raise their city by simply raising the street by about ten feet while building owners made the second story of each building the first floor. This created a scenario where the former first floor of many downtown buildings were underground. Once the massive construction project was complete, the underground passageways went through a variety of transformations. Over time, these tunnels and basement were host to everything from criminal organizations to the city's counterculture. Once home to brothels, opium dens, gambling centers, and speakeasies, the Underground Tunnels are open to the public through Bill Spiegel’s Underground Tour.
Located in the Pioneer Square Historic District, the Lowman & Hanford Printing Company was founded by James Lowman and Clarence Hanford, two of Seattle's early business and civic leaders. Large presses in the building printed all of the city's newspapers, until the Great Fire of 1889 swept through Seattle. After the fire, the city quickly began to rebuild. Lowman and Hanford commissioned a new company building on First Avenue, along with a second building on Washington Avenue. While the company primarily advertised itself as a printing facility and stationary retail business, it also sold books, typewriters, sewing machines, pianos, and organs. Ownership changed several times during the 20th century, with the company eventually becoming The Ligature, a printing and engraving business, with facilities in both Seattle and Los Angeles. In 2006, The Ligature closed its Seattle facility, marking an end to the company's historic ties to the Pacific Northwest.
Former newspaper editor Bill Speidel created this tour of the historic tunnels beneath the streets of Pioneer Square in the 1960s, largely in hopes of generating interest in historic preservation for the neighborhood. The first underground tour of Seattle occurred in May 1965 and was an immediate success, with approximately 500 people going on tours of the still-intact tunnels beneath Seattle’s brick sidewalks. The creation of the Underground Tour both simultaneously exposed locals to the intact city beneath their feet, and restored the city’s birthplace, Pioneer Square, which is where the tour is centered. Pioneer Square was finally made into a Historic District in May 1970, thanks in part to these tours. The tours continue today with trained guides taking visitors on a 75-minute guided tour of the tunnels and streets of the Pioneer Square neighborhood.
During Seattle's rapid growth as a western Boom Town, the rapid construction of the Hoge Building -- 18 stories -- took less than a year to complete, and allowed it to be the tallest building in Seattle during the pre-WWI era. The building represents Seattle's transition from frontier town to metropolis, largely resulting from railroad arrival because of Seattle's access to Asia and Alaska.
The Arctic Building, now The Arctic Club Seattle Hotel, is a Beaux-Arts style masterpiece in the city of Seattle that was built in 1916 by two prominent Washington architects. Known as the building with the walrus tusks, it once served as the headquarters of the Arctic Club - an all-male business and social club for the city's elite. This architectural gem, with distinctive decorative features reminiscent of its namesake, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November 1978 and is a City of Seattle Landmark.
The Rector Hotel was designed by John Graham Sr., a Seattle architect employed by Alson Brown, the son of a timber baron who hoped to diversify his families investments. The hotel's location next to the Grand Opera House proved fortuitous and the two buildings were adjoined at the balcony level. The hotel was one of many built during Seattle's initial economic and population boom (1902-1920) and demonstrates the rapid commercial expansion of the city during the Klondike Gold Rush.
Construction of this historic Seattle skyscraper began in 1911 and was completed three years later, with the Neoclassical terracotta skyscraper reaching a height of 484 feet. The building offers breathtaking panoramic views of the city from its observation deck, and it also holds a historic visitor center along with ground-level shopping and leasable office space on the remaining floors. The construction of Smith Tower reflected the city's growth and shaped Pioneer Square’s history.
This museum was located in Seattle's historic Pioneer Square for many years before closing in late 2017. The Seattle Metropolitan Police Museum is searching for donations that will allow it to reopen in a new location. Prior to closing, it was the largest police museum in the western U.S. and featured historical displays with an interactive learning area for children and adults. The museum had a fleet of historic police vehicles and offered displays that educated the public about the historic, cultural, technological and social transitions of the Seattle Police Department and King County Sheriffs Office.
Housed in the historic former Cadillac Hotel building in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood, the Seattle Unit of Klondike Gold Rush National Park is an interactive and interpretive museum. The park highlights the journey that gained popularity among wealth seekers in the late 19th century. Through hands-on and educational displays, exhibits, and activities, visitors can learn what drove this frantic Northern stampede, the journey the trekkers faced, and the results of the pilgrimage. The building itself was constructed in 1889 and is a fine example of Victorian and Italianate architecture.
This five story building was completed in 1904, a time when Seattle's economy and population was booming. The building's original owners, the Pope and Talbot Lumber Company, demonstrate the importance of the lumber industry to Seattle's economic development. Thanks to investments in railroads and infrastructure, many industries and workers chose Seattle over San Francisco and other West Coast cities. In addition to natural resources, Seattle offered a perfect location for businesses who wished to ship goods to Asia and Alaska.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This short loop centered around the Pioneer Square neighborhood includes stops at many of the oldest buildings in Seattle and includes numerous landmarks and information about the Seattle Underground. The tour concludes near its starting point at Occidental Square with the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and the Heritage Building.
