354:, showing the building as it would have been with the top 2 floors forming the capital of the 3-part design with arched windows and a large dentiled cornice. Demolition of the old buildings by contractor Sherman G. Combs began in July 1911 and excavation of the lot was completed by the end of August. Harry Brandt was awarded the general contract and the building's steel and concrete structure was finished by the end of the year. Although the building was completed by early 1912, the hotel itself wouldn't open for another year; the reason for this delay was never made clear. The Hotel Rector, operated by the Levinson Hotel Company, Inc., officially opened on May 5, 1913, touting its fireproof building and the fact that it was completely furnished by Seattle labor. Doc Humphrey, previously of the Frye Hotel, was its first manager. A large neon sign spanning the building's top 5 floors could be seen up and down Cherry Street.
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foreclosed upon and by 1920 all of Brown's real estate holdings had been sold off to settle their delinquent loans. During this legal turmoil the Rector Hotel underwent a massive 6 month interior remodeling in which all the furniture was sold and many of the interior room partitions were rebuilt. The intention was to connect the hotel to the adjacent Opera House building, which had recently been gutted by fire, and add more rooms, but this was never done. The St. Charles Hotel
Company was incorporated in August 1917 by the hotel's new managers John and Josephine Farnham and C.A. Spirk and by the end of 1917 the Rector had reopened as the St. Charles Hotel, though still under the operation of the Levinson Company, now known as the Rector Hotel Company. Not long after the Rector name was retired, Levinson would open a New Rector Hotel at 1924 First Avenue.
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294:, in 1867, Brown would make Seattle his permanent home, joining the city council and building a stately residence on his property at First Avenue and Spring Streets in the early 1870s. Brown retired from logging in 1882 to focus on improving his real estate holdings. He passed away from complications from stomach cancer in 1899 with an estate valued at nearly $ 400,000.
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over $ 300,000 in funds for his own personal use and to pay off debts for various farming scams. The financial repercussions continued to multiply as more parties came forward against the estate and Brown was forced to declare bankruptcy. The Rector Hotel and adjoining Grand Opera House building were
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tower faced with limestone, brick and terra cotta over a reinforced concrete structure. They ultimately opted for the 12-floor design, costing an estimated $ 200,000, but chose to only complete the first 6 floors for the time being. Graham's concept sketch was published in the July 9, 1911 edition of
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in 1859 where he went to work running logging camps for Cyrus Walker. He soon came into his own, opening logging camps and mills throughout Puget Sound and by the 1870s had become one of the most powerful lumber men in the region. The same year he had arrived in Port Gamble, he purchased the first of
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In March 1985 the St. Charles was purchased for $ 520,000 by
Plymouth Housing Group, a Seattle-based non-profit organization, with plans to convert the hotel into low-income rental housing to serve the increasing amounts of homeless in Seattle. Over the next two years over 1600 hours of volunteer
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who in 1926, planned to finally add the building's missing floors, though only 5 instead of the original 6, that would double the hotel's capacity but this too never came to pass. The lease and furnishings of the St. Charles were sold to J.A. Ragan of
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next door) to design a fireproof hotel building for their lot. They had Graham make plans for both an 8-floor and 12-floor design that they would decide upon if the bids for the larger design met their budget or not. Graham's design was for a 3-part
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in May 1927 for $ 30,000 and the hotel underwent a second interior remodeling in
September 1931 after which it was known as the Governor Hotel for about ten years before reverting to the St. Charles and would continue to serve guests for decades.
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in 1890 in partnership with Jacob Furth and J.D. Lowman, of Lowman and
Hanford but would later buy out their interests. 1 year prior to Brown's death, the Western 2/3rds of the property facing Cherry Street had been leased to theater operator
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labor went into restoring the building inside and out. With a $ 637,000 loan from the city, workers installed a new elevator, a second exit, cooking units and laundry, bath and shower facilities. A grand re-opening, attended by mayor
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In April 1920 the St. Charles and Grand Opera House were sold to C.D. Clinton for $ 250,000. The hotel served a mix of tourists and long-term guests of various reputation. In
November 1920 at the height of
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many pieces of
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wooden tenement houses anchored by the
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Of Brown's real estate holdings, the 2 lots at the southwest corner of Cherry Street and Third Avenue were identified as the most valuable. Brown had purchased the two lots from
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on the site. The remaining 35' X 120' sliver of property facing Third Avenue, made narrower after the widening of that street in the 1900s, was filled with a row of pre-
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Expansion of the hotel remained in limbo after A.L. Brown was removed as receiver from his father's estate by the rest of his family after he was found to have
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225:. It was constructed in the latter half of 1911 by the estate of pioneer lumber baron Amos Brown. Designed by prominent Seattle architect
567:"Landmark Wrecked for New Hotel: Destruction of Old Frame Buildings at Third and Cherry for Modern Structure Recalls Big Fire".
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a guest was busted on the fifth floor with nine quarts of liquor. By the mid 1920s the building was managed for its owner by
495:"National Register of Historic Places Registration: Rector Hotel / Hotel St. Charles / Governor Hotel / St. Charles Hotel"
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the rush was all but over. Undaunted, he decided to throw his lot in with the growing local lumber industry, landing at
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hotel. In 1986 it was renovated into low-income housing by the
Plymouth Housing Group. In 2002 it was added to the
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660:"Realty and Trade Situation in Seattle and Northwest: Three Seattle Business Blocks Now Under Construction".
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In 1911, Brown's estate under the direction of his son Alson L. Brown commissioned architect
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Residential buildings on the
National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)
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Commercial buildings on the
National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)
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Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)
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Conceptual elevation of the building as it was meant to be completed, July 1911.
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478:"Luck and 1,600 Hours of Hard Work Give Low-Income Hotel a New Shine".
735:"Hotel Rector, Third and Cherry Closed, Must Vacate Before July 1 ".
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National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington (state)
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who opened a beer hall and one year after Brown's death built the
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523:"Long Life Ended: Amos Brown, a Well Known Pioneer, Is Dead".
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accompanying 20 photos: from c.1938, 1918, and 18 from 2002
545:. Library of Congress: Chronicling America. April 14, 1899
630:"Business Outlook Growing Brighter - Big Buildings Due".
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National Register of Historic Places listings in Seattle
338:(whose offices were located in the recently completed
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Rector Hotel in 2007, with Lyon Building to the left
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
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450:"Summary for 619 3rd AVE / Parcel ID 0939000085"
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600:"Building Operations Looking Up in Seattle".
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1257:1912 establishments in Washington (state)
1242:Apartment buildings in Washington (state)
720:"Rector Hotel Will Be Greatly Improved".
645:"Record in Building for Year in August".
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37:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
1217:1910s architecture in the United States
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675:"Hotel Rector Will Be Opened Monday".
493:Phillip Seven Esser (March 15, 2002).
426:"National Register Information System"
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456:. Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
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690:"Receivers Named for Brown Estate".
431:National Register of Historic Places
235:National Register of Historic Places
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780:"Old Opera House Sold With Hotel".
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1212:Hotel buildings completed in 1912
615:"$ 200,000 Hotel to Be Erected".
585:"Landmark Goes for a Big Hotel".
482:. September 26, 1987. p. D1.
1227:Residential buildings in Seattle
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859:. September 6, 1931. p. 46.
840:"Robinson Firm Makes Big Sale".
825:"Business Area Activity Gains".
814:. September 30, 1926. p. 4.
664:. December 17, 1911. p. 43.
649:. September 3, 1911. p. 36.
393:was held on September 27, 1987.
260:, also designed by John Graham.
240:It is located north of historic
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872:The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
857:The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
842:The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
829:. October 3, 1926. p. 56.
827:The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
812:The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
810:"Eleven-Story Hotel Planned".
799:. November 4, 1920. p. 2.
797:The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
782:The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
767:The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
754:. August 31, 1917. p. 11.
752:The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
737:The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
722:The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
705:"Court Orders Property Sold".
634:. August 27, 1911. p. 31.
587:The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
480:The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
281:but by the time he arrived in
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874:. March 11, 1985. p. 17.
855:"Hotel Will Be Redecorated".
750:"Articles of Incorporation".
709:. April 11, 1919. p. 28.
248:, and adjacent to the former
784:. April 4, 1920. p. 38.
769:. March 9, 1920. p. 17.
739:. June 16, 1917. p. 14.
724:. June 11, 1917. p. 14.
604:. June 27, 1911. p. 15.
589:. July 16, 1911. p. 44.
571:. July 16, 1911. p. 39.
18:United States historic place
1153:National Historic Landmarks
619:. July 9, 1911. p. 24.
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844:. May 8, 1927. p. 57.
679:. May 4, 1913. p. 19.
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795:"Booze Seized in Hotel".
765:"Business Investments ".
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231:Single resident occupancy
217:and during the 1930s the
187:NRHP reference
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870:"Companies; On the Go".
454:Seattle Historical Sites
273:Amos Brown, a native of
177:Architectural style
707:The Seattle Daily Times
692:The Seattle Daily Times
677:The Seattle Daily Times
662:The Seattle Daily Times
647:The Seattle Daily Times
632:The Seattle Daily Times
617:The Seattle Daily Times
602:The Seattle Daily Times
569:The Seattle Daily Times
543:The Washington Standard
525:The Seattle Daily Times
287:Port Gamble, Washington
279:Fraser Canyon Gold Rush
1171:Keeper of the Register
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119:47.60333°N 122.33083°W
1191:Contributing property
539:"Death of Amos Brown"
499:National Park Service
436:National Park Service
358:The St. Charles Hotel
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213:, later known as the
694:. December 20, 1917.
124:47.60333; -122.33083
89:619-621 Third Ave.,
1158:Bridges and Tunnels
438:. November 2, 2013.
252:and the 1910-built
223:Seattle, Washington
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91:Seattle, Washington
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146:less than one acre
1232:Hotels in Seattle
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1186:Historic district
527:. April 11, 1899.
313:Grand Opera House
250:Grand Opera House
215:St. Charles Hotel
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304:Henry Yesler
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292:Mercer Girls
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211:Rector Hotel
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162:Harry Brandt
130:Rector Hotel
29:Rector Hotel
15:
1146:Other lists
1106:Walla Walla
549:February 8,
504:February 7,
460:February 8,
373:prohibition
246:Smith Tower
122: /
109:122°19′51″W
97:Coordinates
1206:Categories
409:References
345:Beaux-Arts
269:Amos Brown
181:Beaux Arts
128: (
106:47°36′12″N
1101:Wahkiakum
1081:Snohomish
1011:Jefferson
928:by county
364:embezzled
309:John Cort
167:Architect
1096:Thurston
1076:Skamania
1066:San Juan
1046:Okanogan
1026:Kittitas
991:Garfield
986:Franklin
966:Columbia
397:See also
194:02000863
159:Built by
86:Location
1116:Whitman
1111:Whatcom
1091:Stevens
1086:Spokane
1051:Pacific
1036:Lincoln
976:Douglas
971:Cowlitz
956:Clallam
382:Olympia
264:History
256:-style
154:1911-12
1121:Yakima
1071:Skagit
1061:Pierce
1021:Kitsap
1006:Island
951:Chelan
946:Benton
941:Asotin
1041:Mason
1031:Lewis
996:Grant
981:Ferry
961:Clark
936:Adams
926:Lists
510:With
151:Built
1016:King
551:2021
506:2021
462:2021
348:the
317:fire
209:The
143:Area
189:No.
1208::
577:^
559:^
541:.
497:.
470:^
452:.
434:.
428:.
417:^
237:.
910:e
903:t
896:v
553:.
508:.
464:.
132:)
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