Butterworth Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Butterworth Building
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Butterworth Building in Seattle
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 Location in Seattle WA Downtown
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| Location | 1921 First Ave. Seattle, Washington 98101 |
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| Built | October 1, 1903 |
| Architect | John Graham, Sr. |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000873 |
| Added to NRHP | 14 May 1971 |
The Butterworth Building is a historic building located at 1921 First Avenue in Seattle, Washington. It was originally built in 1903 for the Butterworth & Sons funeral home. This business was the first of its kind in Seattle to have a building specially designed for funeral services. The Butterworth & Sons funeral home stayed here until 1923.
Because it's on a steep hill, the building looks like it has three floors from the front (First Avenue side). But from the back (Post Alley side), it actually has five floors! Today, the Butterworth Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's also part of the historic Pike Place Market area. The McAleese Family has owned the building since 2005.
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A Building of Firsts
The Butterworth Building was very modern for its time. It was the first building in Seattle specifically built to be a funeral home. It also had the very first elevator on the West Coast of the United States. This elevator was used to move bodies within the building.
In 1904, a local newspaper called it "without question of doubt, the most complete establishment of its kind in the United States…" Even today, the building is known for its beautiful details. These include stained mahogany wood, art glass, fancy plaster designs, and special brass and bronze hardware.
From Funeral Home to Pub
The basement of the Butterworth Building is now home to Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub. You can get to the pub from Post Alley at the back of the building. Some stories say this basement used to be where bodies were prepared or even cremated. However, old records from 1904 say the basement held the building's heating system, stables for horses, and storage for funeral wagons. Kells Irish Restaurant and Pub has been in the basement since 1983.
Spooky Stories
The Butterworth Building is also known for its many ghost stories. People say it's a haunted place! In 2010, the building was even featured on a TV show called Ghost Adventures, which explores haunted locations.
How the Building Was Used
The Butterworth Building was designed to handle all parts of funeral services. Each floor had a special purpose.
Upper Floors
The very top floor of the building had three apartments. These were for the employees of the funeral home. They could enter their homes through a separate door on the First Avenue side.
The floor below the apartments was used for showing coffins (also called caskets). There was a main room for adult-sized coffins and a separate room for child-sized ones. There was also a room for burial clothes and a private room where families could meet with staff. The main coffin showroom had a nice view of Elliott Bay.
Main Floors for Services
The next floor down was the main entrance level from First Avenue. This floor had private offices and rooms where bodies were prepared. It also had a "utensil room" to store items like canopies and rugs used for services.
A separate entrance led to a large funeral chapel. This chapel could hold about 150 people on the main floor and 50 more in a balcony. It even had a separate balcony for a choir. Next to the chapel was a room for clergy and family, which could hold about 15 people. This room also connected to a private "retiring room," which was a full bathroom. On this floor, there was also a special showroom for very fancy coffins.
Lower Floors and Storage
Below the First Avenue street level, but still above Post Alley, was a "stock room." This room had fireproof vaults. These vaults were used to store bodies for longer periods, which was very helpful for families who needed more time to decide on arrangements. Before this building was built, Seattle didn't have such a place.
The very bottom floor, level with Post Alley, was the basement. As mentioned earlier, this floor housed the heating system, stables for horses, and storage for funeral wagons. Today, this area is part of Kells Irish Restaurant and Pub.
