Alaska Building facts for kids
| The Alaska Building | |
Quick facts for kids  |
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| 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 famous 15-story building in Seattle, Washington. It was finished in 1904. For a while, it was the tallest building in the entire state of Washington! Today, this historic building is home to the Courtyard Seattle Downtown/Pioneer Square hotel.
In 2007, a company called American Life, Inc. bought the building. They spent a lot of money to make it new again. In 2010, it reopened as a Courtyard by Marriott hotel. The outside of the building still looks the same. Inside, you can still see the beautiful marble lobby, old crown molding, and wooden pillars.
Contents
The Story of the Alaska Building
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The Alaska Building was built very quickly, in just eleven months! It was designed by architects named Eames and Young from St. Louis. Local architects Saunders and Lawton helped supervise the work.
Building a Skyscraper
This building was special because it was the very first "skyscraper" in Seattle. It was also the first tall building in the Northwest to use a steel frame. This strong frame helped it stand tall. It was the tallest building in Seattle for ten years!
The building's style is called Beaux Arts. This style uses fancy decorations and terra cotta, which is a type of baked clay. You don't see many buildings like this in Seattle.
Seattle's Gold Rush Connection
The Alaska Building was built during a time when Seattle was growing very fast. This growth happened because of the Klondike Gold Rush. In 1897, gold miners from Alaska came to Seattle with lots of gold. Seattle quickly became known as the "Gateway to the Klondike."
This made many people move to Seattle. The city grew from a small town into a big city, or a metropolis. In 1903, a bank called Scandinavian-American Bank bought the land where the Alaska Building now stands. They wanted to build a new bank.
Soon after, a man named J.C. Marmaduke suggested building an even bigger building. The bank's owners agreed. They wanted the building to help businesses between Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. It was also meant to be a social club.
A Special Club and Bank
When the Alaska Building opened, a group called the Alaska Club met on the top floor. This club was for important business people. They had a reading room with newspapers from Alaska and displays of minerals. The Scandinavian-American Bank was on the main floor.
The Alaska Building was so impressive that it encouraged other big buildings to be built nearby. This area became a busy commercial street.
A Landmark That Lasts
The Alaska Building was a symbol of how important the gold rush was to Seattle. It had special round windows on the top floor. From these windows, people could see the busy waterfront. They could watch ships and trains that were part of the gold rush business. For many years, a real gold nugget was even placed in the front door! This reminded everyone of Seattle's connection to the Far North.
Today, the Alaska Building is still an important part of the Pioneer Square Historic District. This area is protected because of its history. The Alaska Building was updated in 1982 to keep it looking great.
