Comments on: Past Post: Hotel Stevens 1908

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By: Robin Shannon

Robin Shannon — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:59:56 +0000

So sad that these grand hotels are leaving us. This wonderful hotel will be memoralized in my new book … Seattle’s Historic Hotels coming out the end of this year. http://www.arcadiapublishing.com …. wrote Seattle’s Historic Restaurants which was a lot of fun!

“…The… Hotel Stevens Is run on the European plan. Rooms 75c per day and up. Rooms with private path, $2.00 per day and up. A first-class family place devoted particularly to local transient people. Restaurant in connection.”

Hope some of you check out my book when it comes out!

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:42:39 +0000

Yes, all of the above is pretty accurate (except where did these remarks about the Frye Opera House come from? Another thread?)

It was a hotel pretty much down to the end, though only a step or so up from Skid Road by the end. Kerouac stayed there when he passed through Seattle, paying something like $2.50 if I remember right, which for him was a splurge but he praised it for being a lot cleaner than where he usually ended up.

Also on that block was a burlesque theater the loss of which in the Federal Building project I believe Henry Broderick lamented in a piece he wrote.

Here’s a 1903 map of the block, showing the hotel already there: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sanborn_1893-1903_Seattle_map_3_right_detail_-_01.jpg

By: Cliffe

Cliffe — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:43:23 +0000

Thanks Colin. Wow, the Frye Opera House was pretty funky.

By: Colin

Colin — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:51:01 +0000

Did Some research…
This is the Frye Block (almost visible on Pediment) built right after the great fire by George Frye on the site of the original Frye Opera House.

http://content.lib.washington.edu/cgi-bin/viewer.exe?CISOROOT=/pcarch&CISOPTR=218&CISOMODE=thumb

By: Cliffe

Cliffe — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:56:40 +0000

Matt the Engineer: I work with MattW and I can tell you he is

By: Matt the Engineer

Matt the Engineer — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:50:09 +0000

(hoping with all my might that Matt is being sarcastic)

The concrete federal building is a prime example of how terrible 70′s architecture was. Cold, bland concrete, poorly functional inside and out.

The bright side of this story is that they didn’t tear down the old federal building to build the new one. The federal building across the street on 1st is a beautiful work of art.

By: matt wright

matt wright — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:04:32 +0000

WOW, the new building there is much nicer.

By: Colin

Colin — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:22:16 +0000

What a shame. That was such a beautiful building.

I agree with Bryan on the date. When the Burke Building (right behind this) was torn down then, it was a pretty big deal, but this building was mising it’s fancy cornice by then so it wasn’t missed as much!

By: Bryan

Bryan — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:13:23 +0000

My best guess would be torn down around 1974 when other buildings on that block such as the Burke Building were torn down to build the Federal Building.

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=119377

Looks like the Stevens Hotel location was the original post office location for Seattle as well.