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was laid and foundation begun in early 1889, a shortage of stone plaguing the city forced Colman to put off construction in order to keep collecting rents on buildings still on the property as long as possible. Construction of the building was made easier when the Great
Seattle Fire of 1889 wiped out all of the buildings on the block. Construction commenced as soon as the debris was cleared.
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to shore there intending to salvage it. When the Colman building was later built on the site, the ship's hull was surrounded by land and buried under the foundation where it is said to still lie in the sub-basement. By the mid 1880s Colman had built up the lot with a uniform row of 2-story wood frame
404:. In October 1978, the building was purchased by CHG-City Center Investors, who began a ten-year, three phase process of restoring the building to its original grandeur. On March 19, 1990, the Colman Building became a City of Seattle Landmark (Ordinance #114993) on nomination by CHG International of
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Reconstruction of the building involved removing most of the brick facade and arches to be replaced with stone, with the floors above to be executed in brick trimmed with stone, all crowned by a projecting copper cornice. Several cast-iron elements from Meany's original design including the entrance
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In 1888, Colman commissioned architect
Stephen Meany to design a large office building that would occupy his property. Meany's design was of an ornate five story brick Victorian/Romanesque edifice trimmed in cast iron and faced in cement and would feature a large central tower. While the cornerstone
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During the rebuilding of
Seattle in the aftermath of the fire, a huge surplus of office space was being created with all of the multi-story structures being built simultaneously. Noticing this, Colman halted construction of the building, which had only reached its second floor. It remained in this
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In July 1895 the corrugated iron-clad warehouses occupying the other half of the block burned to the ground. Colman replaced them with a 3-story stone warehouse building, known as The Colman Block Annex, which eventually functioned for many years as a candy factory, before being demolished in the
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elements from the original design remain on the first floor, while the second floor was re-faced rusticated stone. Four floors of red brick trimmed with marble were built on top of this. The building is crowned with a copper cornice. The Colman building was one of the largest office buildings in
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architect August
Tidemand, who had designed the Colman Block Annex ten years prior, to completely rebuild the building in a Chicago School style while still echoing the building's intended 1889 layout. Tenants were moved to the nearby Burke Building until construction finished. Perks of the new
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The building was built in several stages with a change of design between 1889 and 1906. It was commissioned by
Scottish immigrant and master machinist James Murray Colman who arrived in Seattle in 1872 and would later build Seattle's first brick office building (1875) and
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Among his numerous land holdings along
Seattle's waterfront, James Colman owned the entire block of First Avenue between Columbia and Marion Streets. According to legend, he came to acquire the property when he towed the wrecked ship
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building would include 300 offices, fireproof construction and stair fire escapes. Another improvement over the old building would be the addition of three elevators with 24-hour operators. As construction began in early 1904
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unfinished form for the next fifteen years. Despite its stunted growth, the Colman became an important business address in the city and housed many notable businesses and social clubs like the
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which originally was the city's main coal shipping point. Colman owned large tracts of lands along
Seattle's waterfront and was instrumental in bringing the first railroad (
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In speaking of the new elevator service to be employed in this building recalls the fact that the lone elevator now used holds the record of being the slowest on earth.
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in 1996. Triad spent over $ 2 million in renovations including new air conditioning and better interior lighting as well improving street level businesses. In 2019,
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The Colman
Building was brought back to local ownership in 1997 when Triad Development purchased the building for $ 7.1 million from Plaza Realty Holdings Inc. of
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arch and storefront columns were retained and integrated into the new facade. When completed in 1906, the new building rose six stories high and cost $ 150,000.
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and the
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Seattle in the 1900s and was the centerpiece of Colman's multi-million dollar estate at the time of his death in 1906 shortly after its completion.
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225:. It occupies a half of a block in proximity to Pioneer Square, and is bound by First Avenue, Marion, and Columbia Streets. It is listed on the
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Construction of the Colman
Building was finally resumed in February 1904 and by this time, architectural tastes had changed, and Colman hired
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mid-20th century for a parking lot. Today, this is the site of Griffis Seattle Waterfront (Formerly known as The Post Apartments.)
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shops, occupied by everything from fruit sellers to undertakers and one of the earliest permanent locations of Seattle's
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style while the reconstruction that is visible today was the work of August Tidemand, inspired by the
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The lobby of the building was completely rebuilt in 1930 with designs by Seattle architect
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Office buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)
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National Register of Historic Places listings in King County, Washington#Seattle
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The Colman Building housed several businesses that catered to miners during the
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534:"Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Seattle, King County, Washington, July 1884"
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noted the improved service over that of the Colman Building at the time:
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purchased the Colman Building for approximately $ 37 million.
320:. Architect Meany moved his offices into the building and The
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Unico buys historic Colman Building near Seattle waterfront
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as well as housing several administrative offices for the
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Historylink.org July 27, 2008. Retrieved August 16, 2010.
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On March 16, 1972, the Colman Building was listed on the
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with less ornamentation and large pivoting windows. The
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Architect Stephen J. Meany drew the original plans in a
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Stephen Meany's original design for the Colman Building
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415:. They had in turn purchased the building out of
344:A portion of the original Colman Building c. 1900
1422:National Register of Historic Places in Seattle
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857:Globe Building, Beebe Building and Hotel Cecil
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1437:Buildings and structures in Downtown Seattle
1277:Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
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648:July 11, 1997. Retrieved December 23, 2009
270:James Colman and the first Colman Building
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1447:1906 establishments in Washington (state)
40:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
1323:International District/Chinatown station
16:Historic building in Seattle, Washington
1417:1900s architecture in the United States
640:Developer buys historic Colman Building
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667:May 16, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2020
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402:National Register of Historic Places
229:and is a City of Seattle landmark.
227:National Register of Historic Places
1048:Coast Seattle Downtown Hotel by APA
887:King County Administration Building
514:Colman Building Barber Shop History
408:, with James Mason as their agent.
1452:Office buildings completed in 1906
1391:Women's University Club of Seattle
14:
1207:Fallen Firefighters Memorial (Wu)
867:Henry M. Jackson Federal Building
465:. City of Seattle. Archived from
213:is a historic office building on
721:Chinatown–International District
587:– via Chronicling America.
503:– via Chronicling America.
239:Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad
89:Location within downtown Seattle
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1318:Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel
1202:Black Lives Matter street mural
1068:Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream
375:Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition
612:"Work Begins on Colman Block"
597:"Colman Block to Be Enlarged"
577:The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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158:Stephen Meany, August Tidemand
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1038:Crowne Plaza Seattle-Downtown
852:Federal Reserve Bank Building
1144:Coast Guard Museum Northwest
664:Puget Sound Business Journal
645:Puget Sound Business Journal
443:List of landmarks in Seattle
21:United States historic place
1427:Office buildings in Seattle
797:Bank of California Building
792:1411 Fourth Avenue Building
523:Retrieved December 23, 2009
463:"Landmarks and Designation"
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1073:Nordstrom Downtown Seattle
131:47.6035556°N 122.3355750°W
1227:Pioneer Square totem pole
1103:Renaissance Seattle Hotel
962:Seattle Convention Center
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627:Colman Building (Seattle)
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1381:Washington Athletic Club
1017:United States Courthouse
603:November 30, 1903. Pg.1.
558:"To Move Customs House"
163:Architectural style
136:47.6035556; -122.3355750
1287:Victor Steinbrueck Park
1174:Seattle Central Library
1164:Plymouth Church Seattle
972:Seattle Municipal Tower
847:Federal Office Building
616:February 1, 1904. Pg.1.
406:Federal Way, Washington
258:architectural cast-iron
1371:Pike Street Hill Climb
1328:Pioneer Square station
1222:Pioneer Square pergola
1217:Olympic Sculpture Park
1058:Fairmont Olympic Hotel
967:Seattle Justice Center
892:King County Courthouse
837:Dexter Horton Building
493:The Seattle Republican
413:Long Beach, California
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1292:Waterfall Garden Park
1272:Garden of Remembrance
1002:Times Square Building
540:. Sanborn Map Company
519:May 15, 2009, at the
489:"James Murray Colman"
391:Colman Building lobby
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200:Designated SEATL
1232:Prefontaine Fountain
1149:Daniels Recital Hall
1108:Seattle Coffee Works
1012:Union Trust Building
957:Seattle Civic Center
907:Mutual Life Building
573:"West Street Ablaze"
1345:King Street Station
1302:Yesler Terrace Park
1242:Untitled Totem Pole
882:Interurban Building
562:May 30, 1904. Pg.7.
538:Library of Congress
495:. December 14, 1906
324:, a predecessor to
278:James Murray Colman
127: /
104:Seattle, Washington
1366:Metropolitan Tract
1184:Seattle University
1169:Seattle Art Museum
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772:1000 Second Avenue
757:5th Avenue Theatre
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1159:Paramount Theatre
1118:Town Hall Seattle
1113:Storyville Coffee
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952:Seattle City Hall
927:Pike Place Market
912:National Building
862:Grand Opera House
842:Exchange Building
787:1201 Third Avenue
777:1111 Third Avenue
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657:Stewart, Ashley "
625:DeCoster, Dotty "
355:The Seattle Times
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187:Significant dates
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1338:Westlake station
1333:Symphony station
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992:Skinner Building
932:Pioneer Building
917:Pacific Building
902:Maynard Building
897:Liggett Building
872:Holyoke Building
822:Coliseum Theater
812:Central Building
767:901 Fifth Avenue
705:Downtown Seattle
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101:811 1st Ave.
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997:Smith Tower
762:619 Western
433:Colman Dock
417:foreclosure
377:in 1908-9.
235:Colman Dock
134: /
110:Coordinates
1411:Categories
1194:Public art
1063:Iron Horse
1043:The Casino
1031:Businesses
782:1200 Fifth
726:First Hill
449:References
243:street car
223:Washington
750:Buildings
350:Norwegian
250:Victorian
155:Architect
1078:OK Hotel
716:Belltown
517:Archived
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427:See also
285:Windward
245:line.
181:72001272
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1359:Related
1137:Culture
1093:Phở Bắc
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219:Seattle
147:Built
661:" –
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475:2013
310:Elks
290:YMCA
209:The
176:No.
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