Alaska Building facts for kids
| The Alaska Building | |
Quick facts for kids  |
|
| Hotel facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Location | United States |
| Coordinates | 47°36′11″N 122°19′58″W / 47.603°N 122.3327°W |
| Address | |
| Opening date | 1904 |
| Architect | Eames and Young with Saunders and Lawton |
| Management | Marriott International |
| Owner | American Life, Inc. |
| No. of restaurants | 1 (The Bistro) |
| No. of rooms | 262 |
| No. of floors | 15 |
The Alaska Building is a historic building in Seattle, Washington. It was completed in 1904 and was once the tallest building in Washington state. Today, it's a modern hotel called the Courtyard by Marriott Seattle Downtown/Pioneer Square. This building has 15 floors and stands about 62 meters (203 feet) tall. It was designed by architects Eames and Young.
In 2007, the building was bought by American Life, Inc. for $38.7 million. It was then updated to become a Courtyard by Marriott hotel in June 2010. The outside of the building was kept the same. Inside, the beautiful marble lobby, original crown molding, and wooden pillars were also saved.
Contents
History of the Alaska Building
Building Seattle's First Skyscraper
The Alaska Building was finished in 1904. It took about eleven months to build. The design came from a firm called Eames and Young. Local architects Saunders and Lawton helped supervise the project. James Black Masonry Construction was the company that built it.
This building was very special. It was the first steel-frame building of its kind in the Northwest. It was also Seattle's very first "skyscraper." For ten years, it was the tallest building in Seattle. The building was designed in a style called Beaux Arts. This style uses fancy decorations and is not very common in Seattle.
The Gold Rush Connection
The Alaska Building was built during a time of big growth in Seattle. This growth happened because of the Klondike Gold Rush. In 1897, gold prospectors came to Seattle from Alaska. They brought a "ton of gold" with them. Seattle then called itself the "Gateway to the Klondike." This made the city grow very fast. It changed from a small town into a big city.
In 1903, a bank called Scandinavian-American Bank bought the land for the building. They wanted to build a new bank. Soon after, a man named J.C. Marmaduke suggested building the even bigger Alaska Building. Everyone was excited because of the Gold Rush. They wanted the building to help businesses between Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. It was also meant to be a social club.
A Landmark Building
The Alaska Building was Seattle's first "skyscraper." It was also the tallest building until 1911. Its Beaux Arts style makes it stand out. When the building opened, a group called the Alaska Club met on the top floor. This club was for business people. They had a reading room with Alaska newspapers. The Scandinavian-American bank was on the main floor. The Alaska Building helped start the development of other tall buildings nearby.
In their book Hard Drive to the Klondike, Lisa Mighetto and Marcia Babcock Montgomery wrote about the building. They said it showed how important the gold rush was to Seattle. The windows on the top floor looked out over the waterfront. From there, you could see the shipbuilding and shipping industries. These industries grew because of the gold rush. For many years, a real gold nugget was placed in the building's front door. It reminded visitors of the gold rush and Seattle's link to the Far North.
The Alaska Building is still an important building in the Pioneer Square Historic District. This area became a historic district in 1970. The Alaska Building was updated again in 1982 by architects Stickney/Murphy.
