Post on 11-May-2020
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
PublishingDatathisstudycommissionedandpublishedbythe
cityoftacomainAugustof2011.
coverimageDataBackgroundimage:A2011photographofdecorativebentmetalworkbyKatiechase,Artifactsconsulting,inc.
insetimage:1908photographoftheLuzonBuilding,lookingupthirteenthstreetfromPacificAvenue.
cityoftacoma747Marketstreettacoma,WA98402
ConTenTs
1.1 ProjeCT InformaTIon 1
1.2 sTewardshIP GuIdanCe 2
1.2.1 Disposition Criteria 2
1.2.2 Conservation ConCerns 3
1.2.3 ConDition LeveLs 3
1.1 arTIfaCTs InvenTory TabLe 4
1.2 aPPendIx 10
1.2.1 HistoriC images 10
1.2.2 paCifiC nationaL Bank (Luzon) BuiLDing nomination 12
1.2.3 paCifiC avenue HistoriC DistriCt nomination 12
1
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
1.1 ProjeCT InformaTIon
UndertakeninAugustof2011,thisreportprovidesaninventoryandguidanceforongoingsteward-shipofartifactssalvagedduringdemolitionoftheLuzonbuilding(formerlylocatedatthesouthwestcornerofsouth13thstreetandPacificAvenue,tacoma,WA).ListedindividuallyandaspartofadistricttothenationalregisterofHistoricPlaces.
Builtin1890-91,thehistoricnamefortheLuzonbuildingisthePacificnationalBankbuilding.theLuzonbuildingwasthelastBurnham&rootdesignedbuildingintacomaandoneofthelastontheWestcoast.thebuildingwasacontributingpropertyandanchoredthenorthendofthenationalregisterofHistoricPlaceslistedPacificAvenueHistoricDistrict(1302to1356PacificAvenue).theLuzonbuildingwasthelastbuildingofthathistoricdistricttobetorndown.
Artifactslistedbelowcameintothecity’spossessionduringdemolitionofthebuilding.AtthetimeofwritingthisreporttheartifactsresideintwoPortableonDemandstorage(PoDs)containersleasedbythecityatasecuresite.theartifactsareawaitingdisposition.
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The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
1.2 sTewardshIP GuIdanCe
theLuzonbuildingoccupiedaprominentroleintacoma’sgrowthanddevelopmentandthebroadernarrativeofarchitecturalhistory.theremnantartifactsprovidethelasttangiblelinktothebuildingandsomeindicationofthequalityofdesignandconstructionaswellasmaterialsused.theseaffordanimportantinterpretiveandeducationalopportunity.
conditionanddispositioncriteriaprovidedecision-makingtoolstoassistinmatchingartifactswithappropriaterepositoriesbasedoncuratorialneedsandpublicviewinglevels.thefirststepisidentify-ingpotentialreceiversfittingthedispositioncriterialistedbelow.thesecondstepismatchingcondi-tionlevelswiththecapacityofthosereceiver(s).
Aspartofthetransferforallmaterialsthecityoftacomashouldmaintainaninventorytrackingwhichentitiesreceivetheartifactswithprovisionsforthoseartifactstorevertbacktocityownershipshouldthereceivernolongerwantorbeabletomaintainthem.
thisinventoryinformationpertainingtothedispositionoftheremainingartifactsshouldbeaddedtotheonlineHistoricPropertyinventoryform(seelinkbelow).thiswouldprovideapublicpointofac-cesstothelocationsoftheartifactsforcitizensinterestedinthehistoryofthebuilding.
https://fortress.wa.gov/dahp/wisaard/dahpreports/historicpropertyreport.aspx?id=31061
theLuzonislistedtothenationalregisterofHistoricPlacesindividuallyasthePacificnationalBank(Luzon)BuildingandasaprimarystructurewithinthePacificAvenueHistoricDistrict.Acopyofeachnominationisavailableinthe“Appendix”onpage10ofthisdocument.
1.2.1 DisPositioncriteriA
Dispositionfallstothefollowingprioritizedreceivertypes.
• Publicentities.suchasmuseumsanduniversitycampuses.
• Public-privateentities.suchasnon-profitswithamissionstatementrelevanttohistoricpreserva-tion.
considerationcriteriawhenevaluatingpotentialreceivers.
• Demonstratedpublicviewingopportunities.
• remainingintacoma.
• capacitytoprovidecuratorialconditionsappropriatetoparticularartifactneeds.
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The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
1.2.2 conservAtionconcerns
theartifactscompriseformerinteriorandexteriorbuildingelements.Materialsincludecastiron,wood,terracotta,andmetal.Weightsofartifactsrangefromlessthanapoundforsomeofthebellstoover2,000lbspercastironcolumn.Mostitemshavebeenpaintedpreviouslywithlayersofpaintinvariousstagesofdeterioration.curatorialconsiderationsfortheartifactsmayincludeenvironmen-talconcerns,suchastemperatureandhumiditycontrolaswellasmoisture-protection,andevense-curityforsmallerormorevaluableartifacts.thefollowinggeneralcategoriesprioritizeconservationandcuratorialneedsfortheartifactstoassistinmatchingthemwithfacilitiescapableofprovidingongoingstewardshipforthematerials.
• HigH. couldbedisplayedindoorsonly.Wouldrequireahighlevelofcuratorialeffortforongo-ingmaintenanceanddisplayset-up.examplesincludethecastironcolumnsandwooddoors.
• AverAge.couldbedisplayedindoorsonly.Wouldrequireonlyamodestlevelofcuratorialef-fortforongoingmaintenanceanddisplay.examplesincludethedecorativemetalpanels.
• Low. couldbedisplayedinoroutofdoors.onlyminimalcuratorialworkwouldbeneededtoattendtotheirongoingmaintenanceanddisplay.examplesincludethebricks.
1.2.3 conDitionLeveLs
theartifactsareinvariousstagesofdeteriorationandmayrequirecleaningorrepairpriortotheirdisplay.thefollowingrankscategorizethelevelofconditionissuesforeachartifactbyminorormod-erate.thus,anartifactrankedwithaminorlevelofconditionissueswouldrequirefewerrepairsthanonewithamoderatelevel.noartifactiseithercompletelyintactorinneedofextensiverepair.
• Minor. Minimaldamage.Wouldonlyrequireaminimallevelofcleaningbeforedisplay.exam-plesincludethebricksandelevatorparts.
• ModerAte. Greaterlevelofdamage.Mayrequirerepairinadditiontocleaningbeforedisplay.examplesincludetheoakbalustrade.
1.2.4 DisPositioncAteGories
• HigH vALue:shouldbedirectedintoacquisitionbyapublicculturalcollectionwhereconserva-tionandcuratorialstandardsarehigh,thereisaccessforexhibitionandresearchandthecollec-tionpolicywillleadtolongtermpreservation
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The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
• eLevAted vALue:shouldberetainedbythecityoftacomaforincorporationintopublicproj-ectsorconveyedtomasterlevelartistsorcraftpersonsforreusewithpublicculturalprojectsintacoma.
• CuLturAL vALue:offeredtostudents,localartistsorpublicprojectdevelopersforreuseinapubliclyaccessiblelocation.Proposalsforuseshouldbedirectedthroughtheappropriatecityculturalmechanism.
• Story vALue:shouldbeofferedtolocalhistorical/culturalorganizationsforlocalsaleordis-position
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The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
1.1 a
rTIf
aCTs
Inve
nTo
ry T
abLe
maT
erIa
Ld
esCr
IPTI
on
dIm
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on
sQ
ua
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rvaT
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dIs
PosI
TIo
nCo
nd
ITIo
nIm
aGe
no
s.sa
mPL
e Im
aGe
Bric
kH
igh
fired
, m
aroo
n co
lor,
extr
uded
bri
ck
with
div
ots
for
key.
Som
e w
ith r
ound
ed
corn
ers
of v
ari-
ous
radi
i, ot
hers
re
ctan
gula
r.
8.25
x4.2
5x2.
25-
inch
400
appr
ox.
Low
Stor
yM
inor
3976
-39
93
Cast
Iron
Roun
d co
lum
ns
with
flar
ed e
nds
for
bolti
ng. C
api-
tal f
or s
uppo
rt-
ing
woo
d be
ams.
14-in
ch d
iam
eter
ba
se; 1
52-in
ch
leng
th; 1
0-in
ch d
iam
eter
sh
aft;
22x1
4-in
ch c
apita
l
5Av
erag
eEl
evat
edM
inor
3964
-39
75
Cast
Iron
Elev
ator
fly
whe
el a
nd
shaf
t. Pa
int
on fl
y w
heel
.
40-in
ch d
iam
eter
w
heel
, 3-in
ch
wid
e, s
haft
40
-inch
long
, 3-
inch
dia
met
er
1Av
erag
eEl
evat
edM
inor
3994
-40
04
Cast
Iron
Stai
r ra
iling
el
emen
t.48
x36x
5-in
ch1
Hig
hH
igh
Min
or41
79-
4190
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The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
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on
sQ
ua
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TyCo
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PosI
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nd
ITIo
nIm
aGe
no
s.sa
mPL
e Im
aGe
Met
alSi
de r
ailin
g fo
r el
evat
or. R
ound
m
etal
pol
e w
ith a
ttac
hed
pane
l hav
ing
deco
rativ
e be
nt
met
alw
ork.
130-
inch
leng
th,
2-in
ch d
iam
-et
er p
ole,
pan
el
94x6
x2-in
ches
1H
igh
Elev
ated
Min
or40
45-
4052
Met
alFi
re h
ose
reel
. At
tach
ed to
oak
ba
cker
with
ho
se fi
ttin
g.
12x2
4x24
-inch
es1
Aver
age
Elev
ated
Min
or40
53-
4060
Met
alEx
teri
or s
tore
-fr
ont p
iece
s. Ja
mbs
and
so
ffit.
Atta
ch-
men
t for
can
opy
oper
atio
n.
Pain
ted
met
al.
120x
13x2
-in
ch ja
mbs
(2);
138x
38x2
-inch
so
ffit (
1)
3H
igh
Hig
hM
inor
4061
-40
80
Met
alIn
ner
and
oute
r do
ors.
Met
al
wor
k ov
erla
id
on w
ood
back
-in
g. R
elia
nce
Milw
auke
e W
I.
86x3
5x2-
inch
es2
Hig
hH
igh
Min
or40
81-
4096
Met
alIn
ner
rail
door
. D
ecor
ativ
e be
nt
met
al w
ork
and
roun
d po
st s
uppo
rt.
76x3
x88-
inch
es1
Hig
hH
igh
Min
or40
97-
4114
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The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
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nd
ITIo
nIm
aGe
no
s.sa
mPL
e Im
aGe
Met
alO
tis e
leva
tor
part
s (9
2-SW
) op
erat
or c
ontr
ol
for
elev
ator
. W
ood
hand
le.
12-in
ch d
iam
eter
, 4-
inch
thic
k1
Aver
age
Cultu
ral
Min
or41
40-
4143
Met
alLo
cdro
p el
eva-
tor
supp
ly a
nd
repa
ir c
ompa
ny,
floor
indi
cato
r.
14x4
x4-in
ch1
Aver
age
Cultu
ral
Min
or41
44-
4148
Met
alO
tis c
ontr
ol
pole
with
woo
d ha
ndle
and
On
and
Off
switc
h.
36x3
x4-in
ches
1Av
erag
eCu
ltura
lM
inor
4149
-41
54
Met
alBe
nt m
etal
w
ork
with
in
met
al p
anel
.
8x1x
36-in
ch1
Hig
hCu
ltura
lM
inor
4155
-41
58
Met
alTo
p fr
ame,
de
cora
tive
met
al w
ork.
6x3x
36-in
ch2
Hig
hCu
ltura
lM
inor
4159
-41
62,
4174
-41
78
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The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
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nd
ITIo
nIm
aGe
no
s.sa
mPL
e Im
aGe
Met
alM
isce
llane
ous
piec
esN
/A4
Aver
age
Stor
yM
inor
4163
-41
67
Met
alBe
ll se
ts4x
8x1-
inch
2Av
erag
eSt
ory
Min
or41
68-
4173
Met
alD
ecor
ativ
e m
etal
wor
k8x
36x2
-inch
1H
igh
Stor
yM
inor
4192
-41
93
Terr
a Co
tta
Mar
oon
colo
red
terr
a co
tta.
Ex
teri
or b
uild
-in
g pi
eces
. Va
riet
y of
type
s in
clud
ing
flat
pane
ls, c
orni
ce,
mol
ding
s, an
d co
rner
sec
tions
an
d as
sort
ed
brok
en p
iece
s. 76
-B.G
. mar
king
on
larg
er p
iece
s.
Larg
e pa
nels
24
x24x
6-in
ches
, m
ost i
n ge
nera
l ra
nge
or s
mal
ler
22Av
erag
eCu
ltura
lM
inor
4005
-40
39
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The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
maT
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on
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ensI
on
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ua
nTI
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rvaT
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dIs
PosI
TIo
nCo
nd
ITIo
nIm
aGe
no
s.sa
mPL
e Im
aGe
Woo
dBu
ilt-u
p w
ood
beam
s co
n-si
stin
g of
two
8x16
-inch
be
ams
thro
ugh
bolte
d to
geth
er.
150x
16x1
6-in
ches
1H
igh
Elev
ated
Min
or40
40-
4044
Woo
dO
ak e
leva
tor
door
with
ben
t m
etal
wor
k pa
nel.
Adde
d pa
int l
ayer
s.
36x9
4x3-
inch
es1
Hig
hH
igh
Mod
erat
e41
15-
4128
Woo
d O
ak n
ewel
po
st, b
alus
ters
an
d ra
iling
. St
aine
d fin
ish.
30x1
34x6
-inch
es1
Hig
hEl
evat
edM
oder
ate
4129
-41
39,
4191
, 41
94-
4195
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The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
1.2 aPPendIx
thefollowingitemsareincludedintheappendix:
• HistoricimagesoftheLuzonbuilding
• thenationalregisternominationforthePacificnationalBank(Luzon)Building
• thenationalregisternominationforthePacificAvenueHistoricDistrict
1.2.1 HistoriciMAGes
desCrIPTIon ImaGe
Image of bank lobby, ca. 1895. Decora-tive metal work in this image similar to salvaged metal work artifacts.
11
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
desCrIPTIon ImaGe
Image of ground floor interior space.
Detail of exterior cast iron stair railing.
12
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
desCrIPTIon ImaGe
Detail of exterior cast iron stair railing.
1.2.2 PAcificnAtionALBAnK(LUzon)BUiLDinGnoMinAtion
1.2.3 PAcificAvenUeHistoricDistrictnoMinAtion
13
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
l" ,". 1--' 3e<I •• • 4'.& Form No. 10-300 -'" ,0·' 2o".Jr l~.~·
. . UNITED STATESDEPARTM TOFTHEINTERIORNATIONAL PARK SERVICE
NATIONAL REGISTER OF IDSTORIC PLACESINVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM
DNAME
_SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMSTYPE ALL ENTRIES·· COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS Pr 22()
AND/OR COMMON
HISTORICPacific National Bank (Luzon) Building
IJLOCATION
CITY. TOWNTacoma
STREET &: NUMBER
1302 Pacific AvenueCONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
3rd - Oona1d L. Bonker
NOT FOR PUBLICATION
·VICINITY OF
WashingtonCODe
53COUNTY
PierceCODe
053STATE
DCLASSIFICA TION
CATEGORY_DISTRICT
JLBUILolNGISI
_STRUCTURE
_SITE
_OBJECT
OWNERSHIP_PUBLIC
XPRIVATE
_BOTH
PUBLIC ACQUISITION_IN PROCESS_BEING CONSIDERED
PRESENT USE-AGRICULTURE __ MUSEUM
X.COMMERCIAL _PARK
_EDUCATIONAL _PRIVATE RESIDENCE
__ ENTERTAINMENT __ RELIGIOUS
__GOVERNMENT _SCIENTIFIC
_INDUSTRIAL _TRANSPORTATION
_MILITARY __OTHER:
STATUS~OCCUPIED
_UNOCCUPIED
_WORK IN PROGRESS
ACCESSIBLE__ YES: RESTRICTED
__ YES: UNRESTRICTED
_NO
DOWNER OF PROPERTYNAME
Robert Carlson
CITY, TOWN
Tacoma
STREET & NUMBER
10603 South Tacoma WaySTATE
Washington 98409VICINITY OF
IILOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION
STREET & NUMBER
COURTHOUSE.
REGISTRY OF oEEo5.ETC Pierce County Assessor
2401 South 35th StreetCITY. TOWN STATE
Tacoma Washington 98409
TITLE
DREPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS
June,
Washington State Cultural Resource Survey: Tacoma/Pierce County
1974 _FEDERAL --STATE X.COUNTY JLLOCAl
DATE
DEPOSITORY FORSURVEY RECORDS
City of Tacoma Community Development OepartmentOffice of Historic Preservation
CITY. TOWN740 St. Helens, Tacoma
STATEWashington 98402
14
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
------------------ ----
•BDESCRIPTION
CONDITION CHECK ONE CHECK ONE
..xORIGINAl SITE_MOVED DATE _
_EXCElLENT _DETERIORATED
.!GOOD _RUINS
_ FAIR _UNEXPOSED
_UNALTERED
...xAlTERED
DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
The Pacific National Bank (Luzon) Building faces east on the corner of Pacific Avenueand South 13th Street in Tacoma's central business district. The Commercial stylebuilding is six stories high on the Pacific Avenue (facade) elevation and five storieshigh at the rear on Commerce Street. It measures 40 by 100 feet, occupying theentire,property. The structural system combines masonry load-bearing exterior wallsapproximately two feet thick with an inner framework of metal columns and beams. Theinterior walls are faced with lath and plaster. The exterior material is dense brownbrick , with copings ,sills, and 1imited ornamentation of terra cotta. The openingson the first floor are articulated by large semi-circular arches, and the secondthrough the sixth floors are lighted by rectangular double-hung windows (which on thefifth floor are crowned with semi-elliptical arches). The building terminates inbrick corbeling surmounted by an unadorned brick parapet.
The February B, 1891, Sunday Ledger published a description of the interior of thebuilding as it appeared upon completion. Materials and furnishings were varied,including mahogany trim from Mexico, marble mosaic flooring from Tennessee, andwalls adorned with frescoes. Three vaults were constructed by the Marvin SafeCompany of New York "of the latest and best pattern." In the years since, the PacificAvenue level has undergone significant remodeling to accomodate business activities,and some of the floors above have been modified for storage use. However, thefifth and sixth floors retain many of the original office partitions. The vaultswith their related hardware and the pressed metal ceiling are also intact. Otherfeatures (such as the marble floors) have been covered and it has not been deter-mined if they are restorable. The exterior. of'the 'building has changed little withthe exception of modern'signqge and the.addition of fire escapes and seismic bracingat the various floor levels .
. '
15
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
>
•PERIOD AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE .• CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW
_PREHISTORIC
_1400-1499
_1500-1599
_1600-1699
_1700-1799
1-.1800-1899lL'900,
-ARCHEULOGY·PREHISTORIC
--ARCHEOLOGY·HISTORIC
----AGRICULTURE
!.ARCHITECTURE
-ART
_COMMERCE
_COMMUNICATIONS
_COMMUNITY PLANNING
_CONSERVATION
!.eCONOMICS
_EDUCATION
_ENGINEERING
_EXPlORATIQNtseTILEMENT
_INDUSTRY
_INVENTION
_LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
_LAW
_LITERATURE
_MILITARY
_MUSIC
"":"'PHllOSOPHY
. ":""'POLl!1 CS',qOVERNM ENT
_RELIGION
_SCIENCE
_SCULPTURE
_SOCIAUHUMANITARIAN
_THEATER
_TRANSPORTATION
_OTHER (SPECIFY)
BUILDER/ARCHITECT Burnham and Root, ArchitectsBassford and Haupt, BuildersSPECIFIC DATES 1891
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The Pacific National Bank' (luzon) Budding is slgnificant as the surviving one of'two commissions in Tacoma by the Chicago architectural firm of Burnham and Root.An example of the Commercial style, it embodies the late nineteenth-century transi-tion from the traditional load-bearing masonry wall structural system to the steelskeleton/curtain wall form of the skyscraper. It also symbolizes the banking andbuilding activity which took place in Tacoma in conjunction with the completion ofthe transcontinental line of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
Pacific Avenue was graded in 1873-74, just after Tacoma was selected as the terminusfor the Northern Pacific Railroad. For over ten years, building activity consistedof frame business blocks and houses which lined the street in a disparate manner.The pattern changed, however, as investors and businessmen anticipated the comple-tion of the transcontinental railroad across the Cascade Mountains. When the linewas finished in lB87, a b4ildi~g bQom was,in prqgr.~ss, lasting until the Depressionof 1893. The f irm of Daniel H: Burnham and John W: Root, Chicago, was retained todesign the Pac tf rc National Bank BuHding,whictiwas constructed ata cost of '$100,000. Root died before the building was completed in 1891, but he was creditedby Burnham with the design. The partners also produced the Fidelity National BankBuilding in Tacoma, razed in 1949. Burnham and Root gained a national reputationfor commercial buildings which implemented the then innovative metal frame andcurtain wall construction essential to the development of the skyscraper. ThePacific National Bank Building is a transitional example of the type, incorporatingthe new system with the conventional method: walls of bearing masonry. Restrainedin its detailing, the building derives its architectural character from its fenes-tration. Its ground-floor arches exhibit an earlier Romanesque influence, whilethe organization of the upper floors is typical of the Commercial style in the ratioof glass to brick.
The owner of the new building, the Pacific National Bank, had been organized inlBB5 with C.P. Masterson, president, L.R. Manning, vice president, and T.B.'Wallace,cashier. They first established offices in the'Tacoma Chamber of Commerce building,a brick business block located on the southeast corner of 12th Street and PacificAvenue. In February, 1891, the bank moved to its building at Pacific Avenue and,South 13th Street. The following year, George W. Vanderbilt, youngest brother ofCornelius Vanderbilt, II, purchased the Pacific National Bank Building as part ofhis one million dollar investment in Tacoma real estate. The Pac if tc National Bankretained its headquarters in the building until 1898. When the Depression of 1893halted economic activity, it was one of the few banks in Tacoma able to survive theeconomic collapse. Since its inception on October 20, 1885, the Pacific National
\
16
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
• •FormNo, 10-300a1l1ev 10· 741
lj NITU> ST ATI:S l>1:I'ARTMI:NT 01' TilE INTERIORNATIONAL PARK SERVICE
fOII"N!''l, USlOltly;.e ' -. -'
NA TIONAL REGISTER OF mSTORIC PLACESINVENTORY -- NOMINA TION FORM
RECEIVED" '.• :/ ....
CONTI NUATION SHEET ITEM NUMBER 8 PAGE 1
Bank has continued to the present, although it has undergone three capital changes.On September 1, 1913, the Pacific National Bank of Tacoma and the National Bank ofCommerce merged under the name of the National Bank of Tacoma. Two further capitalchanges occurred on August 21, 1937 (National Bank of Washington), and on August 17,1970 (Pacific National Bank of Washington).
In 1899 the Tacoma Savings and Loan Association had been founded in the PacificNational Bank (Luzon) Building; it remains one of the oldest such institutionsin the nation. In 1901 the building gained its name, the Luzon Building, forreasons not ascertained but presumably related to the consolidation that year ofAmerican control of the Philippines, of which Luzon was the ma in island and locationof the capital city, Manila. The banking institutions which used the building duringthis time included the Metropolitan Bank (1899) and the London and San FranciscoBank (1902-1904). The latter was bought by the Bank of California, which remainedin the building until 1918. The Scandinavian American Bank temporarily used thepremises in 1920. Over the years, offices in the upper floors housed lawyers,insurance companies, and real estate agents. A tailor, a tea company, and a barberoccupied the Commerce Street store-fronts between 1891 and 1924. At that time,the William L. Davts Company acquired the entire building for its store and warehouseand continued to occupy the building until 1937. This business was well known forthe quality of its furniture and its interior design work. In 1959 the NationalBank of Washington began to use the building as a warehouse for bank files.
17
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
, /'.-") .
. .;, IIMAJOR BIBUOGR.ICAL REFERENCES •Hoffman, Donald. The Architecture of John Wellborn Root. Baltimore: John Hopkins, 1973.
Moore, Charles. Daniel H. Burnham, Architect, Planner of Cities. Boston: HoughtonMifflin, 1921.
"The Pacific at Home." Sunday Ledger, Vol. LX, No.39. Tacoma, Washington, February 8, 1981,p. 4.
II!JGEOGRAPHICAL DATAACREAGEQFNQMINATEDPRQPERTY less than one acreUTM REFERENCES Tacoma North, Washington Quadrang1e Sca1e: 1/24000
ALL.Qj 1514,216',2,0,15,213,310,2,51ZONE EASTING NORTHING
cW LL..J...u.J ~BW II, I, I II, I, 1" I.ZONE EASTING NORTHING
OW LL..J...u.J ~VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION
New Tacoma Addition, Lot 1, Block 1304, NW~ of Section 4, Township 2Q, Range 3East.
. ,;
LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES
STATE CODE COUNTY CODE
STATE CODE COUNTY CODE
mFORM PREPARED BYNAME I TITLE
August Gene Gru1ich, Chairman(assisted by the City of Tacoma Office of
Historic Preservation)ORGANIZATION
Tacoma Landmarks Preservation CommissionDATE
September 11, 1979STREET & NUMBER TELEPHONE
(206) 272-0007707 Court ACITY OR TOWN STATE
Tacoma Washington 98402
ImSTATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER CERTIFICATION. THE EVALUATED SiGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTYWITHIN THE STATE IS:
NATIONAL_ STATE__ LOCAL_X_
As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89·665). Ihereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to thecriteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service.
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFIC~A S:IG.NATUAE
TITLE DATE
DIRECTOR, OFFICEOFARCHEOLOGY AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION'" .ATTEST; , :,~<::,:~t::\;t?~;:::)t.:~.. ':"<:,' -t. "
< ,~. ",DATE
KEEPEROFTliE NATIONAL REGISTER
GPO 892.453
18
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
" • IT
~Il 510000 FEET (SOUTH)
10 I MILE,
1000 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 FEETE? F3 F3
.5 0 1 KILOMETERe===r=E3 F3 F3 F3
CONTOUR INTERVAL 20 FEElDOTTEU LINES REPRESENT lO·FOOT CONTOURSNATIONAL GEODETIC VERTICAL DATUM OF 1929
DEPTH CURVES AND SOUNDINGS IN FEET -DATUM IS MEAN LOWER LOW WATERSHOREltNE St,DWN REPRESENTS THE APPRQxlMArE LINE OF MEAN HIGH WATER
rHE MEAN RANGE OF TIDE IS APPROXIMATELY 8 FEET
'" ';1> ~ l,,'j MAGNETIC NORTH."-~ .. .:.AlivN AT CENT~R Of SHEET
QUADRANGLE
THIS MAP COMPLIES WITH NATIONAL MAP ACCURACY STANDARDS
FOR SALE BY U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. DENVER. COLORADO 80225. OR RESTON, VIRGINIAA FOLDER DESCRIBING TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS AND SYMBOLS "IS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
22092 ReVisions shown In pt.taken 1'168 and 197:
Pur o!e tint indrcatus ~
19
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
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20
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
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23
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24
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
• •J
Pacific National Bank (Luzon) BuildingTacoma, Washington
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Historic Preservation
•of Archaeology and
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25
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26
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27
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
7 ,-/
.~ - - NPS Form 10.800(7.a1)
,j United States Department of the InteriorNational Park Service
National Register of Historic PlacesInventory-Nomination FormSee Instructions In How to Complete National Register FormsType all antrles-complete applicable sections
-
•For NPS USB only
received
date entered
1. Namehistoric Pacific Avenue Historic District
and/or common
2. Locationstreet & number 1302 to 1356 Pacific Avenue _ not for publication
city,town Tacoma 159ssioca'Si'wmvicinity of
stste Washington code 053 county Pierce code 053
3. ClassificationCategory.z., district_ bulldlng(s)_ structure_site_object
Ownership_' public--"---private"_bothPublic Acquisition_In process_ beingconsiderednla
_museum_park_ private residence_'_ religious_ scientific_ transportation
other:
Status....!..- occupied~ unoccupied'_ work in progressAccessible_ yes: restricted..1l_ yes: unrestricted_no
Present Use_ agrl~ulture-K.. commercial_ educational_ entertainment__ government_ industrial_ military
4. Owner «;»fPropertyname Multiple (see attached list)
street & number
city,town ____vlclnllyof state
5. Location of Legal Descriptioncourthouse,registryof deeds, etc, Pierce County Assessor
street & number 2401 South 35th Street
city, town T/!-coma stale Washington 98409
6. Representation in Existing Surveys(1) Tacoma Cultural Resources Survey
title (2) HAER Inventory has this propertybeen delerminedeligible? yes x no
date (1) 1978:-80 (2) 1979 ---"-federal state county 1 local
City of Tacoma, Community Development Department,depository for survey records Office of Ristor; c Preservati o.~n,--__ :,--- _
city,town 740 St. Helens, Tacoma slate Washington
28
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
·.-i.; . .'NPS Form lC).SlOCH(7"1)
1- \.- .,Jt.l\1 .
.-,." ..j ~.o ...
United States Department of the InteriorNational Park Service
National Register of Historic PlacesInventory-Nomination FormContinuation sheet Item number 4 Page 1
Building No. Lot No. Owner of Record
1 1 Robert Carlson & Ronald Malnar10603 S. Tacoma WayTacoma, WA 98499
2715
.2 & 31021 lri 22
Francis Browne1011 1/2 South L StreetTacoma, WA 98405
3 4 Gabriel Touriel & W. Sherman1310 Pacific AvenueTacoma, WA 98402
4 5 Beverly Long8116 70th Avenue Ct. SWTacoma, WA 98499
5 6 & 7 Morris Epstein2106 N. Fife StreetTacoma, WA 98406
6 8 & 9 Sam Kravitz6005 Upland Terrace S.Seattle, WA 98118
8 11 & 12 Steven Pfeifer551 - 26th AvenueSan Francisco, CA 94121
910
1314 & 15
Majestic Associatesc/o Dale CarlisleP. O. Box 1157Tacoma, WA 98401
11 16 Steve Louie1333 Commerce StreetTacoma, WA 98402
121314
16
171819 & 20
·Dr. George Brain3530 Sound View Drive W.Tacoma, WA 98466
23-26 - Lo.uis DiDenti7308 Bridgeport WayTacoma, WA 98467
29
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
• •,...7. DescriptionCondition_ excellent-"'-- good_lair
_ deteriorated_ruins__ unexposed
Check one_ unaltered~altered
Check one~ original site_moved date
D"scrlbe the present and original llf known) physical appearance
The Pacific Avenue Historic District comprises an entire city block (Block 1304of the Plat of New Tacoma) at the southern edge of the central business districtof Tacoma, Washington. North of this block is the core of the retail, financialand commercial center of the city. Included in this area are new skyscrapers,some well-maintained or rehabilitated office buildings and department stores,and the historic Pantages Theatre (National Register), currently undergoingrenovation and scheduled to reopen in 1983 as a performing arts center. Westof Block 1304 new construction underway or planned includes an office tower andthe first major hotel to be built in Tacoma in almost a century. One block tothe south is the northern boundary of the Union Depot/Warehouse Historic District(National Register), an area containing a large number of handsome brickutilitarian structures of the late nineteenth century, as well as Tacoma's land-mark railroad depot. East of Block 1304 a modern bus depot and some oldercommercial buildings occupy the remainder of the downtown bluff, which overlooksthe industrial and recreational waterways created on the tideflats of CommencementBay.
The city block which comprises the Pacific Avenue Historic District is bounded onthe east by Pacific Avenue, established early as the city's main thoroughfare; onthe west by Commerce Street (formerly Railroad Street); on the north by South13th Street; and on the south by South 15th Street. As a typical city block inthis vicinity, it has 24 lots of 25' frontages and two end lots of 40' frontages,for a total length of 680'. The width of the lots is 100!. This short depth ofthe block, with no interrupting alley, facilitated the design of commercialbuildings with business frontages on both Pacific Avenue and Commerce Street.Because of the west to east slope of the terrain, buildings which are three orfour stories on Pacific become two or three stories on Commerce, with the secondfloor on the east becoming a street level storefront on the west.
The dominant Pacific National Bank Building (also known as the Luzon Building;1890, Burnham & Root), at six stories the tallest on the block, anchors thenorthern end of the district. At the southern corner, the McCormack Brothersdepartment store (1911), a large three-story structure, represents another periodof building activity prior to the First World War. Between the two, an array ofbusiness blocks reflects the progress of commercial and architectural developmentin Tacoma from the early 1880s to about 1910.
The two earliest properties (1883), neighboring two-story structures with upperfloor fenestration of narrow segmental arched 'window openings, are the oldestextant brick commercial buildings in Tacoma. Most construction in the cityconsisted of wood frame business blocks and residences prior to the passage in1884 and 1889 of building codes requiring fireproof construction materials in thedowntown area. The brick facades of these two buildings are now covered bystucco, applied in a "modernization" program in the 1950s and 1960s.
Of the sixteen properties on the block, eight date from the period 1887-1891,when New Tacoma experienced an economic boom and rapid development following thecompletion of the Cascade Division of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Stylesrange from the vigorously ornate Italianate Citizens Bank BUilding to the straight-forward functional statement of Burnham & Root's Pacific National Bank Building.
(cont'd)
30
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
NPS Fonn 11).900-.(7-81) • --, '1"-'U,'.''J
"
United States Department of the InteriorNational Park SelVice
National Register of Historic PlacesInventory-Nomination Form
t. ....: .
Continuation sheet Item number 7 Page 2
Several exhibited brick-faced facades with round-arched windows and decorativeterra cotta trim, common for commercial buildings of the period. The BransonBUilding remains the most handsome example of this idiom.
Four properties date from the period 1902-09, a time when there was again anincrease in building activity following the depression of the 1890s. Therestrained'and unadorned facades of the four-story Dillon & Fisher and SatterleeBuildings reflect the change in style from the exuberant Victorian displays of amore prosperous time. Trabeated fenestration and relative lack of ornamentationcharacterize these hotel and business blocks from this first decade of thetwentieth century.
The large McCormack Brothers department store, located on the southern corner ofthe district, with 115' frontage on Pacific Avenue and 100' on 15th Street,represents a departure from the smaller shopfronts of other retail merchants onthis block. Built in 1911, it was the last major construction on the block,followed only by the unobtrusive one-story Patten Building of about 1920.
Over time, as various businesses moved in and out of the storefronts and a desirefor greater and sometimes more garish visibility on the part of merchants andowners increased, changes occurred in the appearance of the Pacific Avenue street-scape. Exterior alterations included the modification of storefronts, additionof inappropriate signage, and in some cases the application of stucco over theoriginal facade. One exterior (Wolf Building, 1889) is obscured by an expandedmetal covering, simply attached and easily removable. Strict enforcement ofTacoma's seismic code has required the removal of some cornices as well as theupper two floors of the Baker and Wolf Buildings. The interiors of all thebuildings, most originally undistinguished, have been altered over time bymodifications of street level retail spaces to accommodate diverse tenants' needsand by the adaptation of many upper floor office spaces to residential use.
A brief description of individual properties in the Pacific Avenue HistoricDistrict, with numbers keyed to the accompanying map, follows.
1. PACIFIC NATIONAL BANK BUILDING1302 Pacific Avenue1890-91; Burnham & Root, architects
Primary structure. Listed individually on the National Register.
Lot 1. Six-story masonry office building. Rectangular plan. 40' frontageon Pacific Avenue and Commerce Street; 100' frontage on South 13th Street.Iron skeleton construction with load-bearing masonry exterior walls. Brickfacing with terra cotta copings, sills and limited ornamentation. PacificAvenue facade is divided into three bays expressed by tall round-archedentries at street level and'regular trabeated fenestration on upper floors.Blind arches occur over fifth-story windows, and a simple corbeled brickcornice beneath a plain parapet terminates the uppermost story. Littleexterior change except for seismic reinforcement at each story and paint andsignage at street level.
31
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
RPS Fonn 1o-lQO..(7-1') • •United States Department of the InteriorNational Park Service
National Register of Historic PlacesInventory-Nomination Form
..I.'..J '
-- -"
Continuation sheet Item number 7 Page 3
2. BAKER BUILDING1306-08 Pacific Avenue1889; Pickles & Sutton, architects
Secondary structure.
Lots 2 & 3. Two-story masonry retail and office building. 50' frontage onPacific Avenue and Commerce Street. Designed by the same architects anderected at the same time as the adjacent Wolf Block; the two buildings thuspresenting an integrated uniform facade of 75'. At street level the originalstone entrance portal, with its Richardsonian Romanesque arch and glazed fan-light, remains. One storefront (1308) retains its original appearance, withrecessed entry and display windows aboce marble wainscoting. Signage coversthe original glazed transoms. The other storefront (1306) has been alteredby the repositioning of the doorway and the application of modern facingmaterials. The second story retains its original fenestration, with the majorpiers framing paired double-hung wood-sash windows with glazed transoms.Earthquake damage necessitated the removal of the upper two floors in the1960s. The existing one-story Commerce Street facade retains one originalstorefront, while the other has been altered by the application of modernfacing materials.
3. WOLF BUILDING1310 Pacific Avenue1889; Pickles & Sutton, architects
Secondary structure.
Lot 4. Two-story masonry commercial building. 25' frontage on PacificAvenue and Commerce Street. Designed by the same architects and erected atthe same time as the adjacent Baker BUilding. The two structures, originallyfour stories in height, presented a uniform facade of 75'. The narrower WolfBlock lacks the arched entrance of the Baker Building, but retains originalstone piers at street level. Storefront has been altered. Upper stories nowmasked by expanded metal screen. One-story Commerce Street facade obscuredby modern wood cladding.
4. LEVIN BUILDING1312 Pacific Avenue1909
Primary structure.
Lot 5. Two-story brick commercial building. 25' frontage on Pacific Avenueand Commerce Street. Straightforward early twentieth century commercialdesign. Original central entry storefront remains, with modern tile coveringwainscoting. Transom intact but obscured by signage. Upper level dividedinto two bays of paired souble-hung windows. Decorative brick corbels atcornice level; original plain parapet has been removed. Commerce Street facadeintact but somewhat obscured by wood panelling over transoms and side entrance.
32
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
NPS Form 11).90()..(7"') • •United States Department of the InteriorNational Park Service
National Register of Historic PlacesInventory-Nomination FormContinuation sheet Item number 7 Page 4
5. OUIMETTE-LITTLEJOHN BUILDING1314-16 Pacific Avenue1883; 1893
Intrusion.
Lots 6 & 7. Two-story brick commercial building. Earlier section with 50'frontage on Pacific Avenue and depth of 60' was constructed in 1883. 40'addition extending the building to Commerce Street was built in 1893. Streetlevel storefronts have been altered, and transoms and upper story have beencovered with stucco. Original second floor fenestration of single segmentalarched window openings is still visible. Commerce Street facade is coveredwith modern brick facing. The Ouimette-Littlejohn Building and the adjacentOlds Building are evidently the oldest extant brick commercial buildings inTacoma.
6. OLDS BUILDING1318-20 Pacific Avenue1883; 1906
Intrusion.
Lots 8 & 9. Two-story brick commercial building. Earlier section, with 50'frontage on Pacific Avenue,and depth of 60', was constructed in 1883. 40'addition extending the building to Commerce Street was built about 1906.Originally a handsome Victorian commercial facade with central entry storefronts,glazed transoms, regular upper-story fenestration of segmental arched windowopenings with heavy label moldings, and bracketed cornice. Only the form ofthe window openings are visible today since the Pacific Avenue facade has beencovered with stucco. Brickwork of later Commerce Street facade is intact, butstorefronts are obscured by plywood panels. The Olds Building and the adjacentOuimette-Littlejohn Building are evidently the oldest extant brick commercialbuildings in Tacoma.
7. SAMPSON-UZAFOVAGE BUILDING1322 Pacific Avenue1887; 1910
Intrusion.
Lot 10. Two-story brick commercial building. Earlier section, with 25'frontage on Pacific Avenue and depth of 60', was constructed in 1887. 40'addition extending the building to Commerce Street was built about 1910.Original transoms and upper story of Pacific Avenue facade have been coveredwith stucco, and storefront has been altered. Brickwork and transoms of laterCommerce Street facade are intact, but storefront has been altered.
33
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
, <NPS Form 10-100-.(7-81) • •.'
United States Department of the InteriorNational Park Service
National Register of Historic PlacesInventory-Nomination FormContinuation sheet Item number 7 Page 5
8. SATTERLEE BUILDING1324-26 Pacific Avenue1908
Primary structure.
Lots 11 & 12. Four-story brick and concrete hotel building. 50' frontage onPacific Avenue and Commerce Street. Pacific Avenue storefronts have beenaltered and transoms covered. Upper stories remain intact, with facade dividedinto four bays by wide red brick piers with contrasting light grey stone quoins.Wood-framed, double-hung windows in rectangular opernings at third and fourthfloors; second floor windows have glazed transoms under segmental arches.Simple ornamental frieze of flat keystones above upper story windows, with name"Satterlee" inscribed in decorative lettering above central pier. Originalcornice removed. Three-story Commerce Street facade essentially intact.Slightly modified storefronts with transoms. Window openings have flat archeswith radiating red bricks and contrasting cast-stone keys and corner blocks.Original galvanized iron cornice remains.
9. PATTEN BUILDING1328 Pacific Avenueca. 1920
Secondary structure.
Lot 13. One-story brick commercial building. 25' frontage on Pacific Avenueand Commerce Street. Plain rectangular facade covered wi.th beige tile andframed in darker orange tile. Two narrow dissimilar storefronts; northern onehas been altered.
9a. STREET CLOCKLocated in front of A. Rose Jewelers storefront in Patten Building
Primary object.
Fluted Corinthian column above pedestal base. Two-sided upper casing withaccommodations for four pendant globes and single upright globe at crest. Lastremaining street clock in Tacoma and one of a dwindling number of theseuniquely American features of urban streetscapes.
10. DILLON & FISHER BUILDING1330-32 Pacific Avenue1902
Primary structure.
Lots 14 & 15. Four-story brick hotel building. 50' frontage on Pacific Avenueand Commerce Street. Example of restrained, unadorned commercial architecturefollowing the depression of the 1890s. Pacific Avenue storefronts have beenaltered and transoms covered with tile and signage. Upper stories intact.Facade divided by central uninterrupted pier, with secondary piers forming
34
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
NPS Form 10·900·.(10411) • •,... .
- --',.; .. ' .
United States Department of the InteriorNational Park Service
National Register of Historic PlacesInventory-Nomination Form
, .- ~
Continuation sheet Itemnumber 7 Page 6
four bays in each half. Regular fenestration of narrow rectangular windowopenings with wood-framed double-hung sash. Simple brick corbeling abovefourth story windows; decorative brick corbeling across top. Originalbracketed cornice removed after earthquake damage in 1960s. Three-storyCommerce Street facade altered by application of stucco over brick facing,but original window openings with segmental arched heads remain. Originalconfiguration of storefronts and central arched entrance also is intact.
11. BIRMINGHAM-TULLIS BUILDING1334 Pacific Avenue1889
Intrusion,
Lot 16. Two-story brick commercial building. 25' frontage on Pacific Avenueand Commerce Street. Originally built as a warehouse for the Alaska Mercantileand Packing Company. Pacific Avenue facade has lost its original appearance.Altered storefront; upper story covered with stucco; new windows.
12. BRANSON BUILDING1336 Pacific Avenue1891; Farrell & Darmer, architects
Primary structure.
Lot 17. Three-story brick commercial building. 25' frontage on PacificAvenue and Commerce Street. A fine example of late nineteenth centurycommercial architecture, employing round arches, decorative brickwork andornamental terra cotta. Groundfloor framewo»k essentially intact, with cast-stone corner piers and galvanized iron frieze. Storefront modified by woodpaneling, which also obscures transoms. Upper facade divided into threewindow bays by flat brick piers rising two stories to a triad of round arches.Terra cotta ornament in spandrels between second and third stories, and insquares grouped in panels at cornice level. "Branson" appears in central panel.Terminal parapet and small corner turrets have been removed. Two-storyCommerce Street facade largely intact. Original storefront with only transomobscured by signage. Three round-arched window openings at second story.Original cornice has been removed.
13·& 14.
CITIZENS BANK/IRVING BUILDINGS1338-1342 Pacific Avenue1889; Farrell & Darmer, architects
Primary structures.
Lots 18, 19, 20. Three-story brick commercial building. Combined frontage of75' on Pacific Avenue and Commerce Street. Originally three distinctproperties, but facade was designed as a single integrated unit. The upperstories of the combined buildings retain the full flavor of the commercialItalianate style as interpreted on the west coast in the 1870s and 1880s.
35
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
• • C".,
". '... ",'
NPS Form 100....(7"')
'-, " ,',
: .:;":.:l -; : -' ,..J ....c-
United States Department of the InteriorNational Park Service
National Register of Historic PlacesInventory-Nomination FormContinuation sheet Item number 7 Page 7
Slender attached columns grace the narrow piers between round-arched andsegmental-arched window openings. Paired windows under major molded archesappear in the bank's central bays of the second and third stories, and thisaccented section is surmounted by a classically detailed pediment at cornicelevel. Bracketed eaves overhang a paneled frieze, and various decorativedetails add to the richness of the Victorian facade. At street level, signagehides the original tall glazed transoms and modern facing material has alteredthe appearance of the storefronts. The two-story Commerce Street facaderetains its original tall arched central entry, but the storefronts have beenmasked by plain plywood panels. The upper story of the bank's facade has lostmuch of its original stucco finish as well as a classically detailed corniceand central pediment. The underlying brick structure, with its rhythmic rowof round-arched windows, gives evidence of the original form. The IrvingBuilding (northern portion), though missing its cornice. and original store-front, remains in better condition, with original stucco work reflecting itsearlier appearance.
15. COGSWELL & MEATH BUILDING1344-46 Pacific Avenue1908; Darmer & Cutting, architects
Primary structure.
Lots 21 & 22. Two-story brick commercial building. 50' frontage on PacificAvenue and Commerce Street. Original arrangement of two storefronts is intact,although modern facing materials have been added and transoms are covered bysignage. Upper story reflects restrained commercial style of post-depressionperiod. Four pairs of double-hung windows under flat arches, with oversizekeystones and simple moldings ending in decorative corner blocks. Corbeledbrick frieze; original galvanized iron cornice has been removed. Storefrontsand transoms of one-story Commerce Street facade are masked by wood panels.
16. McCORMACK BROTHERS DEPARTMENT STORE1348-56 Pacific Avenue1911; Russell.·& Babcock, architects
Secondary structure.
Lots 23-26. Three-story brick commercial building. 115' frontage on PacificAvenue and Commerce Street; 100' frontage on South 15th Street. Storefrontshave been altered on all three street elevations, although Pacific Avenue sideretains most of early arrangement of shop entrances between flanking displaywindows. Upper level divided into five bays by plain brick piers rising twostories to broad segmental arches with oversoze keystones over three-partwindow groupings. Easternmost bay on South 15th Street elevation originallyrepeated this motif. Trabeated fenestration continued on remainder of thiselevation and on Commerce Street facade. End bays of both Pacific Avenue and15th Street elevations have been filled in, and Commerce Street front iscovered by expanded metal screen.
36
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
• • '.8. SignificancePeriod_ prehistoric_1400-1499_1500-1599_1600-1699_1700-1799.z., 1800-18992-1900-
Areas of slgnlflcance-Check and justify below___. archeology-prehistoric communityplanning landscapearchitecture._ archeology-historic __ conservation ...__ law_ agriculture __ economics ___ literature~ architecture _ education military__ art _~ engineering _ music.-lL- commerce _ exploration/settlement __ philosophy__ communications _ Industry _~_ politics/government
_Invention
religionscience
__ sculpture__ sociall
humanitarian____ theater_ transportation_ other (specify)
Specific dates 1883-1920 Builder/Architect Burnham & RootFarrell & DarmerDarmer & CuttingPickles & SuttonRussell & Babcock
Statement of Significance (in one paragraph)
~he Pacific Avenue Historic District is significant as the last remaining integratedblock of historic commercial buildings in downtown Tacoma. Two established preser-vation areas border the CBD -- the Old City Hall Historic District at the north andthe Union Depot/Warehouse Historic District at the south. In the downtown areabetween the two are isolated examples of Tacoma's heritage, but the 1300 block ofPacific Avenue is the only one which remains intact, exhibiting a harmonious street-scape of low-rise commercial facades of the 1880s and the first decade of thetwentieth century. Surrounded by recent development, the block remains the onlyvisual link connecting the two existing historic districts. It comprises a dis-tinctive grouping of commercial buildings that retains the flavor of a 1910 street-scape uninterrupted by later intrusive structures.
Although settled by Euro-Americans as early as 1852, Tacoma really owes its founda-tion to the decision made in 1873 by the Northern Pacific Railroad to locate itsPacific Northwest terminus at the port city on Comme~cement Bay. Indeed, the rail-road monopolized the development of the fledgling terminus and the sale of townsiteproperties. The Tacoma Land Company, a subsidiary of the railroad, was formed tomanage and offer for sale the town's real estate.
Pacific Avenue was the city's designated major thoroughfare -- the first street tobe surveyed·and graded in 1874. During the next decade building activity along thestreet consisted of wood-frame business establishments and residences -- with thesingular exception of a brick building commissioned by C.B. Wright, president of theTacoma Land Company.
Local fires in 1884 and 1885, and the compelling example of the great fire whichdestroyed 25 blocks of Seattle's business district in 1889, prompted Tacoma to passordinances (in 1884 and 1889) regulating the thickness of walls and constructionmaterials of downtown business buildings. The typical image of western false frontshops gave way to brick and stone business blocks along Pacific Avenue.
In 1887, when the completion of the mainline link over Stampede Pass connectedTacoma to the transcontinental railroad network, an economic boom spurred intensivegrowth in the "City of Destiny." Building activity continued until the Panic of1893, and this short span marks the first period of substantial construction indowntown Tacoma. The Klondike gold rush at the end of the century and Tacoma's role(secondary to Seattle's, to be sure) as a port o! supply and embarkation helped therecover. The first decade of the twentieth century marks another historic periodof activity.
(cont'd)
37
The Luzon ArtifActsinventory
l • •'.,.,~ ".
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National Register of Historic PlacesInventory-Nomination Form
Item numberContlroation sheet8
The Pacific Avenue Historic District reflects these two periods of development inthe city's history. One-half of the properties (eight of sixteen) were constructedduring the first boom period (1887-1893), and four were built daring the firstdecade of the twentieth century. Existing together in this last remaining blockof historic properties in the CBD, they represent Tacoma's commercial heritage asexpressed' in its businesses, hotels, and office blocks.
Many of these buildings were created by newly arrived contractors -- carpentersand bricklayers who brought their skills to the frontier town. Some "architects"who came to practice were not professionally educated, but learned their trade onthe job. Others, who deserved the designation, are also associated with thePacific Avenue district. Most noteworthy, of course, is the nationally renownedChicago firm of Burnham & Root. The Pacific National Bank Building is one of twocommercial office buildings that they designed for Tacoma, but the only one re-maining. (Their Fidelity Bank Building has been demolished.)
Among the local architects represented, the name of Carl August Darmer is mostrevered. The carefully proportioned design and attention to detail whichcharacterize the Citizens Bank/Irving Buildings and the Branson Building are in-dicative of the quality and dependability of his work. Born in Prussia, where hereceived his academic and architectural training, Darmer immigrated to the UnitedStates in 1882 and settled in Tacoma three years later. He was taken into partner-ship by William E. Farrell, a Wisconsin native who appears to have had the typicalon-the-job training of frontier architect-builders. Their association lasted sixyears and included the boom period of Tacoma's growth, when they produced designsfor all kinds of structures in every conceivable style. Darmer then practicedalone for fifteen Years, later formed a partnership with Otis Cutting (1906-1914),and operated as Darmer & 'Company through the teens. Of the scores of buildingshe designed for Tacoma, fewer and fewer remain, and those that do are locatedmostly within existing historic districts. The Citizens Bank/Irving Buildings(1889) and the Branson Building (1891) are important as prime examples of Darmer'searly pre-depression style. The Cogswell & Meath Building (1908) reflects themore subdued style of the first decade of the new century.
Two additional local firms are associated with the district. The Baker and WolfBuildings (1889) were designed by Pickles & Sutton, possibly with the help ofDarmer. Albert Sutton was a graduate of the University of California at Berkeleyand during the eighties and nineties practiced in partnership with Pickles. Hewas later associated with Whitney and Dugan, and that firm designed many of Tacoma'soutstanding buildings.
Sutton also worked for a time with Ambrose J. Russell, one of Tacoma's best knownarchitects and a graduate of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. After working in H.H.Richardson's office in Boston and entering into a brief partnership with BernardMaybeck in Kansas City, Russell settled in Tacoma in 1892. His best known partner--ship was with Everett P. Babcock, an engineer sent from New York to oversee theconstruction of Tacoma's Carnegie Library. Together they accounted for numerousnoteworthy public and private buildings in the state. Their work is representedin the district by the McCormack Brothers department store (1911).
(cont'd)
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United States Department of the InteriorNational Park Service
National Register of Historic PlacesInventory-Nomination FormContinuation sheet Item number 8 Page 3
Of the sixteen properties located on the block, eight are considered to be ofprimary significance because of their architectural distinction or because theirhistorically intact visual characteristics provide continuity in the streetscape.Four properties are classified as being of secondary significance because theiroriginal ~ppearance has been diminished but not obliterated by subsequent altera-tions. In a third category, four buildings are classified as intrusions becausetheir original 1880s facades have been totally obscured by modern facing materials.If successful removal of these claddings reveals substantially intact originalfacades, buildings of this group may later be placed in the primary or secondarycategories.
Classification of individual buildings has been noted in the Description and onthe accompanying map of the district.
Both the survey of cultural resources conducted by the City of Tacoma in1978-80and the rehabilitation study undertaken by the National Park Service in 1979singled out the 1300 block of Pacific Avenue as a distinctive remnant of Tacoma'sarchitectural and commercial heritage. Its significance as an intact block ofhistorically important commercial buildings from Tacoma's first two periods ofdevelopment, and its key role as a link between the two existing historic districts,make it a crucial element in the city's historic preservation plan for downtownTacoma.
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• •___ ~ -- ........---_....l!:'-'_-----",,"' .. "9. Major Bibliographical References
(See continuation sheet)
10. Geographical Da~aAcreage 01nomlnaled property __ 1......,6"- _Quadrengle name Tacoma North. Washington - Pierce Co,UMT Relerencea Tacoma South. Washington - Pierce Co.
Quadrangle scale 1:24.0007,5 minute series
Al1.LQJ~~Zone Eastlng Northing
clJ.eJ~~EW L1..Lh.LJ Lt..1...L...L..GW L1..Lh.LJ Lt..1...L...L..
Bl1.&J ~Zone Easling
~Northing
Verbal boundery deacrlptlon and Justification
(See continuation sheet)
Llat all states and counties lor properties overlapping state or county boundaries
state n/a code county code
stata n/a code county code
11. Form Prepared Bynameltltle ,Shirley L. Courtois. Architectural Historian
organization date December 3. 1982
street & number 4021 E. Highland Drive lelephone (206) 325-9346
city or town Seattle state Washington 98112
12. State Historic Preservation Officer CertificationThe evaluated slgnillcance 01this property within the state Is:
_ national __ state ~ localAs Ihe deslgnaled Slate Hlslorlc Preservation Olllcer·lor me National Hlslorlc Preservallon Acl 011966 (Public Law 89-665). I hereby nomlnale Ihls property lor Inclusion In Ihe Nallonal Reglsler and certify that It has been evalualedaccording 10Ihe crllerla and procedures sellorth by Ihe Nallonal Park Service.
Stale Hlslorlc Preservation Ollicer slgnalure
title dale
Por'NPS:usEior1ly" ' ~:..':~~_""'~'., ::'-.l.i~ ~J"C' ~\.J'>'~'" __J.
. Ihere!ly~ce!tlfYIluitlhi8'prbpertyls:tncl~de'd1ri the Natlonat:Reglsler.. ',~ ~ '., .. '~._:.". _u':> ... -1 •...·~'i·,:·.)"'! ':;:~ :1#_.. :.' ",-.
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Keeper 01 the National Register , .. . ,"
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daleChief 01 Registration
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United States Department of the InteriorNational Park Service
National Register of Historic PlacesInventory-Nomination FormContinuation sheet Item number 9 & 10 Page 1
9. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES
Andersen, Dennis A., "Carl August Darmer: Architect for the City of Destiny,"Pacific Northwest Quarterly, vol. 71, no. 1, January 1980, pp. 24-30.
Darmer, C; .A., "Review of the Architectural Work in the Building Constructionof the Pacific Northwest, particularly in Tacoma, Washington, ascarried out by C.A. Darmer, Architect." Unpublished typescript inNorthwest Room, Tacoma Public Library. (no date)
Darmer, Carl August. Original ink.on linen drawings and blueprints forvarious Tacoma buildings. Special Collections, University ofWashington Library, Seattle.
National Park Service, Tacoma: The Union Depot District. 1979 RehabilitationStudy. NPS Project Report.
Tacoma Daily Ledger, 1888-1909
10. GEOGRAPHICAL DATA
Verbal boundary description:
Beginning at a point where the centerline of South 13th Street intersectswith the centerline of South Commerce Street; thence southerly along thecenterline of South Commerce Street, parallel to the western property lineof Block 1304, New Tacoma Addition to the City of Tacoma, 760 feet to theintersection of the centerline of South Commerce Street and the centerlineof South 15th Street; thence easterly along the centerline of South 15thStreet, parallel to the southern property line of Block 1304, 190 feet tothe intersection of South 15th Street and the centerline of Pacific Avenue;thence, northerly along the centerline of Pacific Avenue, parallel to theeastern property line of Block 1304, 760 feet to the intersection of thecenterline of Pacific Avenue and the centerline of South 13th Street;thence westerly along the centerline of South 13th Street, parallel to thenorthern property line of Block 1304, 190 feet to the point of beginning.
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I PARKING HOTEL I~------BROADWAY PLAZA
TELCOCREDITUNION
PARKINGPACIAC
NORTHWESTBELL
o ~_________________ COMMERCE ---------------- ..I iI I
~1::lli!III;li:II\::lli:::;,,; 7 6 5 ~:F -I '.,',',.,., .
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II
I BLOCK 1304 • I
0 ...........- - ...... - --_ ....-- - "PACIFIC AVENUE'" .... - - - .. - _. - -----llJlI BUS DEPOT II SCHOENFELDS
FURNITURE
(NO~• _ _ _ HISTORIC DISTRICT BOUNDARY
_ PRIMARY
mI:@:}}@] SECONDARY
I I INTRUSION
PACIFIC AVENUEHISTORIC DISTRICT
TaeolUa,VVashingtonAUGUST 16, 1982
*TACOMA, STATE ANDNATIONAL REGISTERS
lW:F'Oto£ ·BtItD'NG
FINANCIAl.CENTER
(pROPOSa)
•PARKING
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CONTOUR INTERVAL 20 FEETDOTTED LINES REPRESENT 10 FOOT CONTOURSNATIONAL GEODETIC VERTiCAL DATUM OF 1929
DEPTH CURVES AND SOUNDINGS IN FEET_DATUM IS MEAN LOWER LOW WATERTHE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO DATUMS 15 VARIABLE
SHORELINE SHOWN REPRESENTS THE APPROXIMATE LINE OF MEAN HIGH WATERTHE MEAN RANGE OF TIDE IS APPROXIMATELY 8 fEET
• WASHINGTON
QUADRANGLE LOCATIONA~.C :::: ',TAGNETIC NORTHuo-, z- :'::',TER Of SHEH THIS MAP COMPLIES WIlH NATIONAL MAP ACCURACY STANDARDS
FOR SALE BY U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. DENVER. COLORADO 80225. OR RESTON. VIRGINIA 22092A FOLDER DES,~IBING TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS AND SYMBOLS IS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
r~.".'isi('ln<; shown in purple ant,:I'fl;!I plllJlo,:r<.lpl1s taken 197rtll':' inform.rtrou nut field ch.
Purple tint indi c.atcs extenst.u
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•PACIFIC AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICTTacoma, Washington
Jerry TimmonsAugust 1982City of Tacoma Graphic Services
1300 block of Pacific Avenue, looking NW.
1 of 12
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•PACIFIC AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICTTacoma, Washington
Jerry TimmonsAugust 1982City of Tacoma Graphic Services
North COrner of block. Bldgs 1 & 2.
2 of 1<!"
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•PACIFIC AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICTTacoma, Washington
Jerry TimmonsAugust 1982City of Tacoma Graphic Services
North end of block. Bldgs 1, 2, 3,,4, partof 5.
3 of 12
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•PACIFIC AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICTTacoma, Washington
Jerry T;i.mmonsAugust 1982City of Tacoma Graphic Services
Part of bldgs 1, 2, 3 and bldgs 4, 5, 6, 7,part of 8.
4 of 12
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PACIFIC AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICTTacoma, Washington
Jerry TimmonsAugust 1982City q! Tacoma Graphic Services
~ Bldgs 7, 8, and part of 9; and 9a (streetclock).
•5 of 12
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PACIFIC AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICTTacoma, Washington
Jerry TimmonsAugust 1982City of Tacoma Graphic Services
'Part of bldg 9; bldg 10; part of bldg 11.
6 of 12
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c PACIFIC AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICTTacoma, Washington
Jerry TimmonsAugust 1982City of Tacoma Graphic Services
Part of bldg 11; bldg 12; part of bldg 13
7 of 12
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• I •
•PACIFIC AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICTTacoma, Washington
Jerry TimmonsAugust 1982City of Tacoma.Graphic Services
. "Part of bldg 14; bldg 15; part of bldg 16.
9 of 12
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•PACIFIC AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICTTacoma, Washington
Jerry TimmonsAugust 1982City 'of Tacoma Graphic Services
Part of bldg 15; bldg 16.
10 of 12
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•PACIFIC AVENUE HIS~ORIC DISTRICTTacoma, Washington
Jerry TimmonsAugust 1982City of Tacoma Graphic Services
No~th end of biock, Commerce Streetfacades; looking northwest.
11 of 12
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•PACIFIC AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICTTacoma, Washington
Jerry TimmonsAugust 1982City of Tacoma Graphic Services
South end of block, Commerce Streetfacades; looking southwest.
12 of 12