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350:. In February 1933, following $ 40,000 in renovations including remodeling the lobby and the addition of a new scientific sprinkler system, the company moved their offices from the Central Building in the financial district to the former shopping tower where they would occupy the basement, 2nd, 3rd, 10th, 11th and 12th floors. Remaining retail tenants occupying the basement and second floors were forced to vacate.
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property which was in turn a subsidiary of
Drumheller, Ehrlichman & White investment bankers. In September 1928, an announcement was made by United Pacific for plans of a $ 700,000 retail tower on the prominent site that would rise ten, later revised to twelve, stories. Each floor of the building would have one single specialty retail tenant with a tea room at the top.
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tower setback from 3rd Avenue but flush with Pine Street, on top of a three-story (originally two-story) base that fills the 113-by-108-foot (34 by 33 m) lot. A large part of the facade consists of large windows bringing natural light into almost every interior space. It was reported at the time
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In late 1939, Northwest Mutual commissioned the building's original architect, Henry
Bittman, to design a 7,200-square-foot (670 m) expansion to the building's third floor for the insurance company's use that would blend in with the original design. Another major expansion in 1941 was completed
256:
Demolition of the old
Melrose Hotel began on December 3, 1928. The building, originally a Victorian lodging house known as the Rosedale, was built in 1890 at the site of the post office. It was moved to 3rd Avenue and Pine Street in 7 pieces in 1901 to make way for its construction where it gained a
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ball 16-inches in diameter. A mast wasn't built until 1937 and of a heavier design than originally intended. From late 1939 to early 1940, the 60-foot (18 m) spire was used as a light-up "thermometer" to gauge the progress of
Seattle's Community Campaign fund. The lighting was divided into six
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The setback of the tower at the twelfth floor provides a balcony on the Pine Street side, adjoining Gene Hanner's photographic studio, which has been converted into an open garden promenade in which tall shrubs and plants, many of them visible from the street, provide an unusual atmosphere in the
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soon revealed that the vertical shopping concept was not good for businesses trying to make themselves as visible as possible to what few people were still spending money. In
December 1932, the Northwestern Mutual Fire Association, the nation's biggest fire insurance company at the time, signed a
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owned by a sporting goods store on the third floor (the base of the tower). By the end of 1932, the retail concept proved to be a failure and the building was converted into offices for the
Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company. It later housed the headquarters for the Olympic Savings Bank, after
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in 1964. Olympic carried out an extensive renovation of the interior and exterior of the building. Intrusive additions to the storefronts were removed and the facade was cleaned. Other improvements included updated mechanical systems and the removal of an unused freight elevator. Following the
243:
In late 1928, the corner of Third Avenue and Pine street in
Seattle's burgeoning midtown retail district, then occupied by the aging Melrose Hotel, was purchased from the Gottstein Estate by United Shopping Tower Inc., a company created by the United Pacific Corporation specifically to own the
296:
The grand opening of the
Bargain Basement on October 26, 1929, also marked the unofficial opening of the Shopping tower, though still not fully completed. The building soon had more tenants and officially opened to the public on November 2, 1929. The lobby of the building, on Pine Street, was
402:
In 1974, Northwestern Mutual became the
Unigard Insurance Group and moved most of their offices to the recently completed Financial Center at Fourth and Seneca Streets but retained a small office in the building until 1976. Following Unigard's departure, the building was briefly retitled the
202:. It was originally built in 1929 at the Southwest corner of Third Avenue and Pine Street for the United Pacific Corporation under the control of Seattle investment firm Drumheller, Ehrlichman and White. It was designed by Henry Bittman who also designed additions to the building in 1939.
403:"Insurance Building" in hopes of attracting other insurance firms but after a brief vacancy in the late 1970s, the building was purchased by Securities Financial, Inc. in 1979. That company was a subsidiary of Olympic Savings & Loan Association, a bank started in
280:. Construction began in January 1929 and was mostly completed by late August. Among the first tenants to sign on for the unique new building was the Shopping Tower Bargain Basement, a newly formed discount department store that would occupy the entire basement.
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Corporation. During this expansion the tower was expanded 55 feet (17 m) west to the alley. In 1943, the entire second floor was taken over by the
Induction Center of Western Washington for Men which handled
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In the 1950s, a remodel occurred which removed most of the decorative features of the lobby including the ornamental bronze elevator doors. The lobby was also made smaller by additional retail space.
650:"National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination form." Washington State Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation. National Park Service, 1979. Web. 11 Oct. 2010.
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also signed leases for space. Most of the twelfth floor was leased to Gene Hanner for a photography studio. A superficial 13th floor located below the roof was used for storage.
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780:"Gottstein Building showing the offices of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., 3rd Ave. and Pine St., n.d." - University of Washington Special Collections division
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The building's original purpose was to house retail tenants, one per floor with a tea room on the tenth floor. The building was an early incarnation of the
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276:. The University Brick & Tile Company once located on E. 40th street in the University District was responsible for much of the building's exterior
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whose closure in 1994 was sold to private investors and converted into office space. The building became a City of Seattle Landmark on May 18, 1987.
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restoration, Securities Financial nominated the building for the National Register of Historic Places, to which it was accepted the following year.
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investment corporation, Duchess Properties Ltd., led by Liu Shek Yuen. The building is currently owned by Olympic Tower LLC and houses offices and
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trimming and featured display cases for the various retail tenants to display their wares. Two high-speed, micro-leveling, signal controlling
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and included a branch bank on the ground floor. Following Olympic Saving's demise in 1993, the tower was purchased by the
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sections each representing $ 100,000 donated to the fund and another section would light up each time a goal was met. The
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760:"Hotel Federal, 3rd Ave. southwest corner Pine St., ca. 1904" - University of Washington Special Collections division
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consisting of a ten foot copper base on a concrete pedestal holding a 30-foot (9.1 m) tall pole surmounted by a
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of construction that the shopping tower had more glass in proportion to its size than any other building in Seattle.
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ten-year lease with the Gottstein Estate for the majority of the vacated space in the building and renamed it the
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765:"Federal Hotel, 3rd Ave. and Pine St., Seattle." (1917) - University of Washington Special Collections division
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As the site was cleared, architect Bittman awarded the construction contract to Hendrickson & Alstrom,
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In early 1980, the building became the headquarters for Olympic Savings and was officially retitled the
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770:"Shopping Tower, Seattle, October 21. 1929" - University of Washington Special Collection division
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at the top represented the final goal. In 1971 the mast was removed due to maintenance problems.
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533:, Individual Landmarks, Department of Neighborhoods, City of Seattle. Accessed 11 October 2010.
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775:"Northwest Mutual Building, Seattle, May 6, 1935" - Seattle Museum of History and Industry
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National Register of Historic Places listings in King County, Washington#Seattle
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329:, opened a new studio in the building. The renamed station would move to the
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elevators that served the building were also decorated with marble and
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and became the Federal Hotel. It was later clad completely in brick.
626:"Association in New Home: Northwestern Mutual Opens on Pine Street"
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662:"Giant 'Thermometer' to Show Daily Growth of Community Fund"
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A Northwest Mutual ad from 1940 showing the tower with spire
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Close-up of elaborate terracotta at the tower's 12th floor
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Later in 1929, radio station KPBC, the predecessor to
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The original plans for the building had called for a
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587:"Structure Rises in Hub of City's Retail District"
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194:, is a historic 12-story office tower located in
481:"City Will Have Shopping Tower of Ten Stories"
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517:"Workers Feel Work Stands Out as Testimonial"
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499:"Contract is Awarded for $ 700,000 Building"
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1250:1929 establishments in Washington (state)
35:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
735:23 May 1994. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
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558:"Building Will Fall for Shopping Tower"
1230:1920s architecture in the United States
701:"Brehm Leases Pine Street Store Space"
571:"New Store Planned for Shopping Tower"
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378:to accommodate district offices of the
1220:Skyscraper office buildings in Seattle
729:Today, It's New York; Next, It's . . .
348:Northwestern Mutual Insurance Building
337:Northwestern Mutual Insurance Building
257:brick ground floor as a result of the
188:Northwestern Mutual Insurance Building
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205:The building consists of a ten-story
7:
531:Landmarks Alphabetical Listing for O
341:While a novel concept at first, the
200:National Register of Historic Places
282:Puget Sound Power and Light Company
1235:Office buildings completed in 1929
14:
951:Henry M. Jackson Federal Building
545:"Pine Street Corner Grows Apace"
996:Fifteen Twenty-One Second Avenue
221:and the only of its kind in the
613:"Haas, Others Buy Radio KPCB"
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1:
398:Olympic Tower and later years
1199:Tallest buildings in Seattle
714:"Draft Center to Move Here"
487:24 Sept. 1928. Sec. 2, Pg.1.
433:List of landmarks in Seattle
16:United States historic place
926:Fourth and Madison Building
457:"Landmarks and Designation"
248:would manage the property.
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971:Westin Seattle North Tower
871:Russell Investments Center
182:, originally known as the
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143:NRHP reference
116:1929, 1939,41 (additions)
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25:
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1081:United States Courthouse
675:"Landmark coming down".
666:22 Oct. 1939. Pg. 1, 14.
292:Building opens to public
129:Architectural style
851:Seattle Municipal Tower
748:Olympic Tower - Emporis
688:"Third-Story Addition"
818:skyscrapers and towers
358:
323:
269:
219:indoor shopping center
97:47.61056°N 122.33722°W
1061:Onni South Lake Union
936:Hyatt Regency Seattle
705:22 Jun. 1941. Pg. 33.
679:, 7 July 1971. Pg. 3.
617:13 Oct. 1935. Pg. 11.
604:08 Nov. 1929. Pg. 16.
591:25 Oct. 1929. Pg. 11.
575:28 Jul. 1929. Pg. 28.
562:02 Dec. 1928. Pg. 32.
549:11 Nov. 1928. Pg. 32.
521:24 Oct. 1929. Pg. 11.
503:09 Dec. 1928. Pg. 32.
405:Bremerton, Washington
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246:Henry Broderick, Inc.
192:Olympic Savings Tower
184:United Shopping Tower
169:Designated SEATL
27:United Shopping Tower
1240:Art Deco skyscrapers
1225:Landmarks in Seattle
1153:The Langham, Seattle
836:Rainier Square Tower
718:18 Jan. 1943. Pg. 2.
692:5 Nov. 1939. Pg. 28.
630:7 Feb. 1933. Pg. 20.
318:downtown section. -
102:47.61056; -122.33722
976:McKenzie Apartments
941:1600 Seventh Avenue
742:External References
274:general contractors
252:Construction begins
207:reinforced concrete
196:Seattle, Washington
93: /
70:Seattle, Washington
1185:McGuire Apartments
1169:1015 Second Avenue
1110:Under construction
946:1000 Second Avenue
931:1918 Eighth Avenue
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198:and listed on the
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1101:Exchange Building
966:1111 Third Avenue
841:1201 Third Avenue
754:Historical Images
459:. City of Seattle
385:Selective Service
320:The Seattle Times
223:Pacific Northwest
190:, and later, the
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156:Significant dates
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1138:3rd & Cherry
1026:Premiere on Pine
961:One Union Square
891:901 Fifth Avenue
886:800 Fifth Avenue
876:U.S. Bank Center
846:Two Union Square
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372:airway beacon
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172:May 11, 1987
67:217 Pine St.
1162:Never built
1046:The Emerald
956:Smith Tower
417:Singaporean
211:terra cotta
186:, then the
100: /
88:122°20′14″W
76:Coordinates
1245:Terracotta
1214:Categories
1197:See also:
1178:Demolished
1096:1200 Fifth
463:2013-03-04
444:References
421:condominia
278:terracotta
137:neo-gothic
85:47°36′38″N
916:re:Invent
333:in 1935.
121:Architect
1126:Proposed
1091:UW Tower
1076:Tower 12
981:AMLI Arc
856:F5 Tower
600:"Radio"
427:See also
303:mahogany
150:80004004
133:Art Deco
64:Location
1143:The Net
1041:Stratus
1011:Kinects
906:Doppler
824:Current
816:Seattle
387:during
234:History
1117:WB1200
1071:Aspira
1016:Modern
1001:Helios
991:Cirrus
986:Arrivé
311:bronze
299:marble
1056:Kiara
1036:Spire
1021:Nexus
911:Day 1
113:Built
652:link
367:zinc
363:mast
327:KIRO
307:Otis
301:and
284:and
209:and
178:The
1133:4/C
1031:Ren
145:No.
1216::
731:"
635:^
580:^
538:^
508:^
492:^
472:^
423:.
391:.
135:,
808:e
801:t
794:v
466:.
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