The Hull Building (also known as the A-1 Laundry Building) is a historic commercial building located at 2401-2405 1st Avenue in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Designed by notable Northwest architect Elmer Fisher, It was constructed in the latter half of 1889 as an investment property by Seattle politician Alonzo Hull (1843-1929), and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 27, 1983.[1] It is adjacent to the Battery Street Tunnel's south portal.
The Hull Building was built in 1889 by Alonzo Hull (1843-1929), a Pennsylvania native and American Civil War veteran who had arrived in Seattle a year prior via Little Rock, Arkansas[2] and quickly began buying property. He took an active role in the local Republican Party and served on the Seattle City Council throughout the 1890s where he helped establish the city's water system and was vital in securing the Cedar River Water shed as Seattle's primary water source. In February 1889 Hull purchased the lot at the Northwest corner of 1st Avenue (then known as Front Street) and Battery Street for $13,000 from Dr. Edward C. Kilbourne, kitty corner to William Bell's grand hotel that formed the nucleus of the burgeoning North Seattle neighborhood AKA Belltown.[3] At Kilbourne's urging, Hull commissioned architect Elmer Fisher to design a 3-story brick building to occupy the lot with construction beginning that Spring.[2]
Completed in January 1890, Hull's $30,000 building was one of the first substantial brick buildings completed in the neighborhood.[4] Featuring a restrained Victorian motif with exposed corbelled brick, pressed tin trimmings and cast iron storefront columns, it was typical of Fisher's style just prior to the Great Seattle Fire. The building contained 3 store rooms facing First Avenue while the upper floors were used as working class apartments, home to the likes of cooks, stenographers, ship captains, and clerks and owners of the downstairs businesses. One of the building's earliest retail tenants was the Barnes & Co. Pharmacy; drug stores under various names would operate in the corner store for most of the early 20th century. The lack of commercial development in Belltown after the early 20th century helped preserve the building's character and eventually the upper floors fell vacant and have remained so to the present day. At some point the building's cornices were replaced with near replicas but otherwise the building has had minimal restoration work.
The Hull building was purchased by the Eng Family in 1958, who operated A-1 Laundry out the building's first floor and basement for 58 years, closing in 2016 and putting the building up for sale.[5] It was purchased by Hull Building LLC.
^"Hull Building". focus.nps.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
^ ab"The Boom of Improvement - Estimates Asked for on Another $50,000 Brick". The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Library of Congress. 1 Feb 1889. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
^"Notice to Contractors". The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Library of Congress. 31 May 1889. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
^"Two and a Half Million; Fisher's List of Buildings for the Past Year". The Seattle Post-Intellignecer. Library of Congress. 1 Jan 1890. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
^Green, Josh (June 23, 2016). "Iconic Belltown laundry closing up shop". www.king5.com. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
External linksEdit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hull Building.
Pictures of Hull Building from 1982
October 22, 2023
hull, building, also, known, laundry, building, historic, commercial, building, located, 2401, 2405, avenue, belltown, neighborhood, seattle, washington, designed, notable, northwest, architect, elmer, fisher, constructed, latter, half, 1889, investment, prope. The Hull Building also known as the A 1 Laundry Building is a historic commercial building located at 2401 2405 1st Avenue in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle Washington Designed by notable Northwest architect Elmer Fisher It was constructed in the latter half of 1889 as an investment property by Seattle politician Alonzo Hull 1843 1929 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 27 1983 1 It is adjacent to the Battery Street Tunnel s south portal Hull BuildingU S National Register of Historic PlacesSeattle LandmarkThe building s exterior in 2018Location2401 2405 1st Avenue Seattle WashingtonCoordinates47 36 51 N 122 20 54 W 47 61417 N 122 34833 W 47 61417 122 34833Built1889ArchitectElmer H FisherArchitectural styleVictorianNRHP reference No 83003340Added to NRHP1983 Contents 1 History 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksHistory EditThe Hull Building was built in 1889 by Alonzo Hull 1843 1929 a Pennsylvania native and American Civil War veteran who had arrived in Seattle a year prior via Little Rock Arkansas 2 and quickly began buying property He took an active role in the local Republican Party and served on the Seattle City Council throughout the 1890s where he helped establish the city s water system and was vital in securing the Cedar River Water shed as Seattle s primary water source In February 1889 Hull purchased the lot at the Northwest corner of 1st Avenue then known as Front Street and Battery Street for 13 000 from Dr Edward C Kilbourne kitty corner to William Bell s grand hotel that formed the nucleus of the burgeoning North Seattle neighborhood AKA Belltown 3 At Kilbourne s urging Hull commissioned architect Elmer Fisher to design a 3 story brick building to occupy the lot with construction beginning that Spring 2 Completed in January 1890 Hull s 30 000 building was one of the first substantial brick buildings completed in the neighborhood 4 Featuring a restrained Victorian motif with exposed corbelled brick pressed tin trimmings and cast iron storefront columns it was typical of Fisher s style just prior to the Great Seattle Fire The building contained 3 store rooms facing First Avenue while the upper floors were used as working class apartments home to the likes of cooks stenographers ship captains and clerks and owners of the downstairs businesses One of the building s earliest retail tenants was the Barnes amp Co Pharmacy drug stores under various names would operate in the corner store for most of the early 20th century The lack of commercial development in Belltown after the early 20th century helped preserve the building s character and eventually the upper floors fell vacant and have remained so to the present day At some point the building s cornices were replaced with near replicas but otherwise the building has had minimal restoration work The Hull building was purchased by the Eng Family in 1958 who operated A 1 Laundry out the building s first floor and basement for 58 years closing in 2016 and putting the building up for sale 5 It was purchased by Hull Building LLC See also EditList of Seattle landmarks National Register of Historic Places listings in Seattle WashingtonReferences Edit Hull Building focus nps gov Retrieved June 28 2017 a b The Boom of Improvement Estimates Asked for on Another 50 000 Brick The Seattle Post Intelligencer Library of Congress 1 Feb 1889 Retrieved 9 September 2019 Notice to Contractors The Seattle Post Intelligencer Library of Congress 31 May 1889 Retrieved 1 August 2018 Two and a Half Million Fisher s List of Buildings for the Past Year The Seattle Post Intellignecer Library of Congress 1 Jan 1890 Retrieved 1 August 2018 Green Josh June 23 2016 Iconic Belltown laundry closing up shop www king5 com Retrieved June 28 2017 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hull Building Pictures of Hull Building from 1982 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hull Building amp oldid 1128715910, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
