Peter Kirk Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Peter Kirk Building
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 Location in Washington (state)
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| Location | Kirkland, Washington |
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| Built | 1889–90 |
| Architectural style | Victorian Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001873 |
| Added to NRHP | August 14, 1973 |
The Peter Kirk Building is a historic landmark in Kirkland, Washington. It was first called the Kirkland Investment Company Building. You can find it at the corner of Market Street and Seventh Avenue, which was once the main business area of Kirkland. This building is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The building was constructed in 1889 by Peter Kirk, who founded the city and gave it his name. He wanted this building to be the center of a big steel-making city. However, his plans didn't work out, partly because of a big economic problem called the Panic of 1893. Over time, Kirkland's main business area moved south. This probably saved the Peter Kirk Building from being torn down or changed too much.
Even though it was on a busy road, the building became very run-down by the mid-1900s. Luckily, a group of people led by William Radcliffe saved it in the early 1960s. They bought and fixed up the Peter Kirk Building. Today, it is the Kirkland Arts Center and is one of Kirkland's most famous and historic places.
The building is special because of its unique corner tower and its Victorian and Romanesque styles. These designs are still just as they were when it was built. It's made from red bricks made right there in Kirkland, with plaster, stone, and tin decorations. It is the oldest business building still standing on the Eastside of Lake Washington.
What the Peter Kirk Building Looks Like
The Peter Kirk Building has a style from the late Victorian era. Even though it has had many owners and was neglected for a while, its outside looks almost exactly the same as it did in the late 1800s. Some things inside have changed, like a stairway being moved. A fire escape was added to the back, and a small extra floor called a mezzanine was put in.
The building is nearly square, measuring about 59 feet by 55 feet. It has a flat roof with a short wall, called a parapet, around the top on the north and west sides. There's also a decorative part, called a pediment, that rises above the roof on the west side. Below the roof, there's a decorated strip with small block-like shapes and fancy supports.
The building is made of brick and has two stories, but no basement. The windows on the second floor are tall and rounded at the top. They have special wedge-shaped stones around them and are double hung windows, meaning both parts can slide up and down. On the ground floor facing the street, there are large storefront windows. The main entrance has double doors with windows and a fan-shaped window above them. A small tower, called a turret, sits above the main entrance on the second floor. This turret has a pointy roof, like a candle snuffer, and four windows with colorful stained glass at the top.
History of the Peter Kirk Building
Construction on the Peter Kirk Building began in 1889. It was built at what was then the main intersection in Kirkland. The bricks used were made by the Kirkland Brick Company, using clay dug from the local area. After some delays, the building was finished in March 1890. It cost $8,000 to build.
Peter Kirk used the upper floor for his company, the Kirkland Investment Company. His own office was in the corner tower. The first floor was first home to a dry goods store and a drug store. When Kirk's big plans for a steel city didn't happen, the main business area of Kirkland moved closer to the waterfront.
The Kirkland Investment Company's offices on the upper floor became empty. Later, the company was sold to new developers who helped make Kirkland a popular suburban town in the early 1900s. In the 1920s, Market Street, where the building is, became part of a state highway. This made it a main road for travel on the Eastside. The second floor of the Kirk Building was later turned into apartments. The ground floor continued to have different businesses, like a butcher shop, a grocery store, and a furniture store.
By the late 1950s, the building was in bad shape. Its owner couldn't afford to fix it, and there was talk of tearing it down. In 1958, William Radcliffe, a local teacher, bought space on the empty upper floor for his art studio. In 1961, he and a group of local investors, called the Peter Kirk Syndicate, bought the whole building. They wanted to clean it up and make the needed repairs. Their goal was to "save the building as a historic place and use it to help the community enjoy arts and culture." The group later gave their shares of the building to form the Creative Arts League. This group moved into the building and started offering art classes and even ran a small theater.
The Peter Kirk Building was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. After getting money from the government to help with repairs, the building was fully restored in 1977. In 2010, the Peter Kirk Building was chosen to compete for a $1 million grant from American Express. This grant was part of a program to help preserve historic places in the Seattle-Puget Sound area.]
