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Album: Seattle, Washington 2007
Image: 469 / 545
Date: 2007-09-03 10:28:08
Tags: Seattle

Seattle's Historic Core

Pioneer Square is home to one of the nation's largest surviving assemlages of 1890s era buildings. This area, now the Pioneer Square Historic District, was Seattle's downtown in the 1890s. Here stampeders purchased supplies, slept in whatever accomodations they could afford, and boarded ships for Alaska.

Building Style

Many of the surviving historical buildings in the District were built soon after the Great Seattle Fire of 1889. Many were designed by architect Elmer Fisher in what is known as the Richardsonian-Romanesque style. This style provides an architectural unity to the area.

Ribbons of Steel

Following the Civil War, West Coast towns competed fiercely for transcontinental railroad service. In 1873 the Northern Pacific Railroad located its western terminus in Tacoma rather than in Seattle. Despite Seattle's attempts to build branch lines to connect with the Northern Pacific, the city remained isolated from transcontinental rail service until 1895. In that year, the Great Northern Railroad reached Seattle from the east. This rail line was essential to the city's success as the primary point of embarkation for the Klondike Gold Rush.

Grand Old Lady

The Pioneer Building stands on land formerly owned by Seattle pioneer Henry Yesler. He commissioned construction for the Pioneer Building in early 1889. The Great Seattle Fire of that year slowed the building's completion until 1892. Upon its completion, it was considered to be the most beautiful building west of Chicago. During the Klondike Gold Rush, the Pioneer Building was a prestigious address and housed 48 different mining companies.