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{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox_nrhp | name =Pioneer Square-Skid Road District
{{Infobox NRHP
| nrhp_type = hd
| name = Pioneer Square–Skid Road District
| image = Seattle Map - Pioneer Square.png
| nrhp_type = hd
| caption = Pioneer Square
| nocat = yes
| location= ]
| image = Pioneer Square from Columbia Center.jpg
| locmapin = Washington
| area = | caption =
| location = ]
| built =1853
| locmapin = Seattle WA Downtown#Washington
| architect= Multiple; ] (original)<br/>Multiple (increase)<br/> Multiple (2nd increase)
| area =
| architecture= Late Victorian, Romanesque (original)<br/>Italianate, Other, Romanesque (increase)<br/>Chicago, Other (2nd increase)
| built = 1853
| added = ], ] (original)<br/>], ] (increase)<br/>], ] (2nd increase)
| architect = ] (original)
| governing_body = Local
| refnum=70000086 (original)<br/>78000341 (increase)<br/>88000739 (2nd increase) | architecture = Late Victorian, Romanesque (original)<br />Italianate, Romanesque (increase)<br />Chicago (2nd increase)
| added = June 22, 1970
<ref name="nris">{{cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/iwisapi/explorer.dll?IWS_SCHEMA=NRIS97&IWS_LOGIN=1&IWS_REPORT=100000001| title=Impromptu Web Query| work=National Register Information System / National Register of Historic Places|date=2007-12-31|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
| increase = July 7, 1978
| increase2 = June 16, 1988
| refnum = 70000086<ref name="nris">{{NRISref |refnum=70000086|version=2010a}}</ref>
| increase_refnum = 78000341
| increase2_refnum = 88000739
}} }}
] was replaced by two new stadiums.)]] ] was replaced by two new stadiums.)]]


'''Pioneer Square''' is a ] in the southwest corner of ] ], ], USA. It was once the heart of the city: Seattle's founders settled there in 1852, following a brief six-month settlement at ] on the far side of ]. The early structures in the neighborhood were mostly wooden, and nearly all burned in the ] of 1889. By the end of 1890, dozens of brick and stone buildings had been erected in their stead; to this day, the architectural character of the neighborhood derives from these late 19th century buildings, mostly examples of ].<ref>, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. Accessed ].</ref><ref>Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, and Dennis Alan Andersen, ''Distant Corner: Seattle Architects and the Legacy of H. H. Richardson'', University of Washington Press, Seattle, 2003. ISBN 0-295-98238-1. ''passim.''</ref> '''Pioneer Square''' is a ] in the southwest corner of ], ], US. It was once the heart of the city: Seattle's founders settled there in 1852, following a brief six-month settlement at ] on the far side of ]. The early structures in the neighborhood were mostly wooden, and nearly all burned in the ] of 1889. By the end of 1890, dozens of brick and stone buildings had been erected in their stead; to this day, the architectural character of the neighborhood derives from these late 19th century buildings, mostly examples of ].<ref>, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. Accessed November 29, 2007.</ref><ref>Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, and Dennis Alan Andersen, ''Distant Corner: Seattle Architects and the Legacy of H. H. Richardson'', University of Washington Press, Seattle, 2003. {{ISBN|0-295-98238-1}}. ''passim.''</ref>


The neighborhood takes its name from a small triangular plaza near the corner of First Avenue and ], originally known as '''Pioneer Place'''.<ref>{{Citation | last =Jones | first =Nard | author-link =Nard Jones | year = 1972 | title =Seattle | place =Garden City, New York | publisher =Doubleday | isbn =0-385-01875-4 | page = 195 }}</ref> The '''Pioneer Square–Skid Road Historic District''', a ] including that plaza and several surrounding blocks, is listed on the ].<ref name="Corley">{{cite web |url=https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75612402 |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Pioneer Square - Skid Row District |last=Corley |first=Margaret A. |website=] |edition= Original Boundary |publisher=National Register of Historic Places |date=July 1969 |access-date=June 2, 2024}}</ref>
The neighborhood takes its name from a small triangular plaza near the corner of First Avenue and Yesler Way, originally known as '''Pioneer Place'''.<ref>{{Citation
| last =Jones
| first =Nard
| author-link =Nard Jones
| year = 1972
| title =Seattle
| place =Garden City, New York
| publisher =Doubleday
| isbn =0385018754
| page = 195
}}</ref> The '''Pioneer Square-Skid Road Historic District''', a ] including that plaza and several surrounding blocks, is listed on the ].


] and was originally the Lowman and Hanford Printing and Binding Building]]
Like virtually all Seattle neighborhoods, the Pioneer Square neighborhood lacks definitive borders. It is bounded roughly by Alaskan Way S. on the west, beyond which are the docks of ]; by S. King Street on the south, beyond which is ]; by 5th Avenue S. on the east, beyond which is the ]; and it extends between one and two blocks north of Yesler Way, beyond which is the rest of Downtown. Because Yesler Way marks the boundary between two different ]s, the ] north of Yesler does not line up with the neighborhood's other streets (nor with the compass), so the northern "border" of the district zigzags along numerous streets.


Like virtually all Seattle neighborhoods, the Pioneer Square neighborhood lacks definitive borders. It is bounded roughly by Alaskan Way S. on the west, beyond which are the docks of ]; by S. King Street on the south, beyond which is ]; by 5th Avenue S. on the east, beyond which is the ]; and it extends between one and two blocks north of Yesler Way, beyond which is the rest of Downtown. Because Yesler Way marks the boundary between two different ]s, the ] north of Yesler does not line up with the neighborhood's other streets (nor with the compass), so the northern border of the district zigzags along numerous streets.
In some places, the Pioneer Square-Skid Road Historic District extends beyond these borders. It includes ] east of 4th Avenue S., and several city blocks south of S. King Street.<ref>Map near top of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Administrative History, . Accessed online ].</ref>

In some places, the Pioneer Square–Skid Road Historic District extends beyond these borders. It includes ] east of 4th Avenue S., and several city blocks south of S. King Street.<ref>Map near top of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Administrative History, . Accessed online November 26, 2007.</ref>


==History== ==History==

The settlement's importance was guaranteed in 1852, when ] chose the site for his lumber mill, which was located on Elliott Bay at the foot of what is now Yesler Way, right on the border between the land claimed (and soon thereafter platted) by ] (to the south) and that platted by ] and ].
===Early history===
The settlement's importance was guaranteed in 1852, when ] chose the site for his lumber mill, which was located on Elliott Bay at the foot of what is now ], right on the border between the land claimed (and soon thereafter platted) by ] (to the south) and that platted by ] and ].


Much of the neighborhood is on landfill: in pioneer times, the area roughly between First and Second Avenue, bounded on the south by Jackson Street, and extending north almost to Yesler Way (about two-and-a-half city blocks) was a low-lying offshore island. The mainland shore roughly followed what is now Yesler Way to about Fourth Avenue, then ran southeast, at an angle of about 45 degrees to the current shoreline. Slightly inland were steep bluffs, which were largely smoothed away by ] in the late 19th and early 20th century. Much of the neighborhood is on landfill: in pioneer times, the area roughly between First and Second Avenue, bounded on the south by Jackson Street, and extending north almost to Yesler Way (about two-and-a-half city blocks) was a low-lying offshore island. The mainland shore roughly followed what is now Yesler Way to about Fourth Avenue, then ran southeast, at an angle of about 45 degrees to the current shoreline. Slightly inland were steep bluffs, which were largely smoothed away by ] in the late 19th and early 20th century.


==="Below the Line"===
Yesler Way, originally Mill Street, is the main east-west street through the Pioneer Square neighborhood. Immediately south of the square itself, it was the dividing line between Maynard's original claim (to the south) and Boren's (to the north). It became "the Deadline", the northern border of the "restricted district," originally Maynardtown, later "Down in the Sawdust", "South of the Slot", "Below the Line", the Lava Beds, the Tenderloin, White Chapel, or "Wappyville" (after a particularly corrupt police chief), where low entertainment and vice were long tolerated. One of the earliest names, and one that stuck well into second half of the 20th century, was "]".<ref>{{cite book
Yesler Way, originally Mill Street, is the main east–west street through the Pioneer Square neighborhood. Immediately south of the square itself, it was the dividing line between Maynard's original claim (to the south) and Boren's (to the north). It became Deadline, the northern border of the Great Restricted District, Maynardtown, Down on the Sawdust, the Lava Beds, the Tenderloin,<ref name="Boswell">{{cite web|last1=Boswell|first1=Sharon|last2=McConaghy|first2=Lorraine|title=Chasing the wolves of sin|url=http://old.seattletimes.com/special/centennial/march/vices.html|website=old.seattletimes.com|access-date=March 26, 2017}}</ref> White Chapel, or Wappyville,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Morgan |first1=Murray |title=Skid Road |date=2018 |publisher=University of Washington Press |isbn=9780295743493 |pages=8–9, 30–31}}</ref><ref name="Boswell"/> (after ], after a particularly corrupt police chief.<ref name="Rochester">{{cite web|last1=Rochester|first1=Junius|title=Wappenstein, Charles W. (1853-1931)|url=http://www.historylink.org/File/8904|website=historylink.org|access-date=March 26, 2017}}</ref>), where low entertainment and vice were long tolerated. One of the earliest names, and one that stuck well into second half of the 20th century, was "]".<ref>{{cite book | last = Morgan | first = Murray | title = Skid Road: Seattle, Her First Hundred Years | publisher = ] | year = 1960 | pages = 6–7 | isbn = 0-345-24310-2}}</ref><ref name=Broderick-19>{{cite book | last = Broderick | first = Henry | title = Early Seattle Profiles | publisher = Dogwood Press | year = 1959 | page = 19}} Source for "South of the Slot" and "Below the Line".</ref>
| last = Morgan
| first = Murray
| title = Skid Road: Seattle, Her First Hundred Years
| publisher = ]
| year = 1960
| pages = 6-7
| isbn = 0345243102}}</ref><ref>{{cite book
| last = Broderick
| first = Henry
| title = Early Seattle Profiles
| publisher = Dogwood Press
| year = 1959
| page = 19
| isbn}} Source for "South of the Slot" and "Below the Line".</ref>


]
==Late 19th century==

]By the end of 1889, Seattle had become the largest city in ] with 40,000 residents. That same year, the ] resulted in the complete destruction of Pioneer Square. Fortunately for the neighborhood the economy was strong at the time, so Pioneer Square was quickly rebuilt. Many of the new buildings show the influence of the ] architectural mode, although influence of earlier Victorian modes is also widespread. Because of drainage problems new development was built at a higher level literally burying the remains of old Pioneer Square. Anticipating the planned regrade, many buildings were built with two entrances, one at the old, low level, and another higher up. Visitors can take the ] to see what remains of the old storefronts.
Henry Broderick, approaching his 80th birthday in 1959, wrote of the neighborhood south of Yesler, "erhaps never in all history, certainly not in America, has there ever existed such a massive collection of the ] grouped in a restricted area."<ref name=Broderick-19 /> There were "parlor houses" with marquees, celebrity madames—among them ], Lila Young, and Raw McRoberts—and piano "professors". Scrupulous in their dealings, the parlor houses were completely tolerated by the city at the time, but there were also the far more controversial "crib houses" such as the Midway, the Paris and Dreamland near the corner of Sixth Avenue South and King Street. Each had a hundred or more cubicles—"cribs"—and they were not known for any particular honesty in their dealings. The city health department conducted inspections and attempted to keep ] under control, but the state of medicine at the time was not such as to give them any great chance of success.<ref>{{cite book | last = Broderick | first = Henry | title = Early Seattle Profiles | publisher = Dogwood Press | year = 1959 | pages = 19–25}}</ref> Besides the brothels there were "an ungodly mixture of dives, dumps{{nbsp}}... pawnshops, hash houses, dope parlors and{{nbsp}}... the et cetera that kept the police guessing." ]s prospered, part theater, part bar, part brothel, as did all sorts of gambling. Police only dared enter the neighborhood in teams. Perhaps the only safe haven in the neighborhood was the saloon "Our House", which rented out ]es.<ref>{{cite book | last = Broderick | first = Henry | title = Early Seattle Profiles | publisher = Dogwood Press | year = 1959 | pages = 37–42}}</ref>

In 1870, Father ] founded Seattle's first Catholic Church, the Church of Our Lady of Good Help in the heart of this district, at Third Avenue South and Washington Street. Two decades later, Lou Graham opened the city's most famous parlor house diagonally across the street. Father Prefontaine is commemorated by a street in the neighborhood, Prefontaine Place.<ref>Junius Rochester, , HistoryLink, December 2, 1998. Accessed online November 17, 2008.</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Broderick | first = Henry | title = Early Seattle Profiles | publisher = Dogwood Press | year = 1959 | page = 21}}</ref>

===Late 19th century===
], 1914]]

By the end of 1889, Seattle had become the largest city in ] with 40,000 residents. That same year, the ] resulted in the complete destruction of Pioneer Square. However, the economy was strong at the time, so Pioneer Square was quickly rebuilt. Many of the new buildings show the influence of the ] architectural mode, although influence of earlier Victorian modes is also widespread. Because of drainage problems new development was built at a higher level literally burying the remains of old Pioneer Square. Anticipating the planned regrade, many buildings were built with two entrances, one at the old, low level, and another higher up. Visitors can take the ] to see what remains of the old storefronts.


Just before the fire, ] service was instituted from Pioneer Square along Yesler Way to ] and the ] neighborhood. Just before the fire, ] service was instituted from Pioneer Square along Yesler Way to ] and the ] neighborhood.


In 1891, German-born ], President ]'s grandfather, owned the Dairy Restaurant on Washington Street.<ref name="allinthefamily12">{{cite book |last1=Trump |first1=Fred |title=All in the Family: The Trumps and How We Got This Way |date=2024 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=London |isbn=9781398541016 |oclc=1453469554 |page=12|quote=In November 1891, when he was twenty-two years old, he moved across the country to Seattle, where he bought a piece of property on the outskirts, then opened a restaurant on Washington Street in the city's raucous Pioneer Square, a lively district of saloons, gambling parlors, and brothels. He called his new business the Dairy Restaurant and offered food, booze, and very likely the same "Private Rooms for Ladies" its predecessor, an establishment called the Poodle Dog, advertised.}}</ref>
==20th century==
During the ] in 1897 and 1898, Seattle was a center for travel to ]. Thousands of so-called "sourdoughs" passed through Seattle making the city's merchants prosperous. A year later, in 1899, a group of businessmen stole a ] ] and placed it in Pioneer Place Park. When an arsonist destroyed the pole in 1938, the city sent the pieces back to the Tlingit tribe who carved a new one and gave it to Seattle (after finally getting paid for the one that was originally stolen). In addition to the totem pole, a wrought-iron ] ] and a bust of ] were added to the park in 1909.


===20th century===
The year 1914 saw the completion of the ], which at the time was the tallest building west of the ]. However, by that time, the heart of Downtown Seattle had moved north. The building of Second Avenue Extension in 1928-29<ref name=2ndAveExt>, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. Accessed online ].</ref> reconfigured the eastern portion of the neighborhood, by extending a piece of the north-of-Yesler street grid south past Yesler and "slicing into buildings in its path".<ref name=2ndAveExt /> The cable car line serving the area was shut down on ], ].
]. Below it is the ]. On the left are the ] and the ].]]


During the ] in 1897 and 1898, Seattle was a center for travel to ]. Thousands of so-called "stampeders" passed through Seattle making the city's merchants prosperous.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}
], 1917. In the upper-right is the ]. Below it is the ]. On the left are the ] and the pergola.]]


] in 2008]]
===1960s===
In the 1960s, Pioneer Square became a target of ]. One proposal was to replace the buildings with parking garages to serve ]. In 1962, the historic ] was replaced with one such parking garage, commonly referred to as the "Sinking Ship" garage because of its appearance when viewed from 1st and Yesler; it stands to this day. Another proposal was to build a ring road which would have required destroying many of Pioneer Square's buildings. Many buildings were saved by the "benign neglect" of landowner ].<ref>Paul Dorpat, , ''Pacific Northwest'' Magazine, a Sunday supplement to the ''Seattle Times'', ], ]. Article about the Collins Building in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood. Accessed online ].</ref> Although he rarely sold any of his buildings, he sold the ] to architect Ralph Anderson, whose rehabilitation of that building set the pattern for the neighborhood's rehabilitation.<ref>Marcie Sillman, , ], ], ]. Accessed online ].</ref> In 1970, preservationists such as ], ], and others succeeded in listing the neighborhood as historic district listed on the ]. Later that year, Pioneer Square became a city preservation district.


In 1899, a group of businessmen stole ] and placed it in Pioneer Place Park. When an arsonist destroyed the pole in 1938, the city sent the pieces back to the Tlingit tribe who carved a new one and gave it to Seattle (after finally getting paid for the one that was originally stolen).{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}
===1980s===
] service returned to Pioneer Square on ], ], with the opening of the ].


In addition to the totem pole, a wrought-iron ] ] designed by ] (]), originally known as a comfort station and highly touted in tourism marketing, and a ] of ] were added to the park in 1909.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}
==21st century==
Today, Pioneer Square is home to art galleries, internet companies, cafés, sports bars, nightclubs, bookstores, and a unit of the ], the other unit of which is located in ], ]. It is often described as the center of Seattle's nightlife.


1914 saw the completion of the ], which at the time was the tallest building west of the ]. However, by that time, the heart of Downtown Seattle had moved north. The building of Second Avenue Extension in 1928-29<ref name=2ndAveExt>, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. Accessed online November 28, 2007.</ref> reconfigured the eastern portion of the neighborhood, by extending a piece of the north-of-Yesler street grid south past Yesler and "slicing into buildings in its path".<ref name=2ndAveExt /> The cable car line serving the area was shut down on August 10, 1940.
===Crisis===

In early 2001, Pioneer Square suffered three crises. First, on ], an eighteen-wheeler ] crashed into the pergola, shattering it into thousands of pieces; it has since been restored. Next, on ], ] erupted in the neighborhood's ] festivities during which a young man, ], was fatally beaten. Finally, the next day (]), a major ] damaged some of the buildings. Had most of them not undergone ]ting, the damage would likely have been much worse.
====1960s====
In the 1960s, Pioneer Square became a target of ]. One proposal was to replace the buildings with parking garages to serve ]. In 1962, the historic ] was replaced with one such parking garage, commonly referred to as the "]" garage because of its appearance when viewed from 1st and Yesler; it stands to this day. Another proposal was to build a ring road which would have required destroying many of Pioneer Square's buildings. Many buildings were saved by the "benign neglect" of landowner ].<ref>Paul Dorpat, , ''Pacific Northwest'' Magazine, a Sunday supplement to the ''Seattle Times'', January 26, 2003. Article about the Collins Building in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood. Accessed online December 1, 2007.</ref> Although he rarely sold any of his buildings, he sold the ] to architect Ralph Anderson, whose rehabilitation of that building set the pattern for the neighborhood's rehabilitation.<ref>Marcie Sillman, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013163101/https://www.kuow.org/DefaultProgram.asp?ID=12375 |date=October 13, 2007 }}, ], March 12, 2007. Accessed online December 3, 2007.</ref> In 1970, preservationists such as ], ], and others succeeded in listing the neighborhood as historic district listed on the ]. Later that year, Pioneer Square became a city preservation district.

====1980s====
] service returned to Pioneer Square on May 29, 1982, with the opening of the ]. The streetcar discontinued service on November 19, 2005, since its carbarn was razed to make room for the ].

===21st century===
In the 21st century, Pioneer Square is home to art galleries, internet companies, cafés, sports bars, nightclubs, bookstores, and a unit of the ], the other unit of which is located in ], ].

==Public art==

=== Forest For The Trees ===
]
This public art initiative developed by '''ARTXIV''' in collaboration with the nonprofit '''Forest for the Trees''', aimed at transforming Seattle's historic Pioneer Square into a year-round open-air gallery. The project features framed artworks displayed on building facades and in alleyways, blending contemporary art with the district's architectural heritage. The initiative supports artists through a commission-based model, with proceeds from artwork sales reinvested to sustain future installations. By integrating art into the urban environment, the project enhances community engagement and expands public access to creative expression.

=== Fallen Firefighters Memorial ===
{{Main|Fallen Firefighters Memorial (Wu)}}
Each spring since 1989, on the weekend nearest June 6, the city has celebrated the ''Pioneer Square Fire Festival'' with a parade and display of antique and modern fire apparatus, demonstrations of fire fighter skills, food and craft booths, and a party. On June 6, 1998, the anniversary of the 1889 fire, fell on a Saturday. This year the Festival took on additional meaning when the Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial was dedicated. Thanks to the work of Battalion Chief Wes Goss and his Memorial Committee the bronze sculpture was now in place. On a granite block is inscribed the name of each ] who died in the line of duty.<ref> SFD History:The 1990s. Seattle Firefighters IAFF Local 27. Retrieved July 25, 2009.</ref>


==Gallery== ==Gallery==
<gallery> <gallery>
Image:Seattle - Pioneer Square Park from Post Alley 01B.jpg|The heart of Pioneer Square Seattle - F. X. McRory Building 03.jpg|Manufacturers Building now home to F. X. McRory
Image:Totem Pole - Pioneer Square - 1907.jpg|The original Pioneer Square Totem Pole in 1907 Seattle - Pioneer Square Park from Post Alley 01B.jpg|The heart of Pioneer Square
Image:Seattle - Pioneer Square totem pole 01.jpg|Pioneer Square Totem Pole, 2007 Totem Pole - Pioneer Square - 1907.jpg|The original Pioneer Square Totem Pole in 1907
Image:Pioneer Square Pergola 01.jpg|The reconstructed Iron Pergola Seattle - Pioneer Square totem pole 01.jpg|Pioneer Square Totem Pole, 2007
Image:Chin Gee Hee - Kon Yick Building 01.jpg|The ] - Kon Yick Building, one of the last remnants of the historic Chinese presence in the neighborhood Pioneer Square Pergola 01.jpg|The reconstructed ]
Chin Gee Hee - Kon Yick Building 01.jpg|The ] - Kon Yick Building, one of the last remnants of the historic Chinese presence in the neighborhood
Image:Seattle - 700 First Avenue 01.jpg|The Scheuerman Block is an example of the Victorian interpretations of the Romanesque Revival frequently appled to buildings erected shortly after the Great Seattle Fire Seattle - 700 First Avenue 01.jpg|The Scheuerman Block is an example of the Victorian interpretations of the Romanesque Revival frequently applied to buildings erected shortly after the Great Seattle Fire
Image:Seattle - Merchants Cafe 01.jpg|The Merchants Café, Seattle's oldest restaurant Seattle - Merchants Cafe 01.jpg|The Merchants Café, Seattle's oldest restaurant
Image:Seattle - 101 S Jackson St 01.jpg|Heritage Building, a typical early 20th century commercial building Seattle - 101 S Jackson St 01.jpg|Heritage Building, a typical early 20th century commercial building
Image:Pioneer Square Pergola detail 01.jpg|Iron Pergola, detail Pioneer Square Pergola detail 01.jpg|Cast iron pergola, detail
Image:Seattle - Pioneer Building 01.jpg|Pioneer Building, detail Seattle - Pioneer Building 01.jpg|Pioneer Building, detail
Image:Seattle - Grand Central Hotel entrance detail 02.jpg|Stylized lion, entrance of Grand Central Hotel, Squire-Latimer Building Seattle - Grand Central Hotel entrance detail 02.jpg|Stylized lion, entrance of Grand Central Hotel, Squire–Latimer Building
Image:Seattle - Fisher Building 03A.jpg|Fisher Building, detail Seattle - Fisher Building 03A.jpg|Fisher Building, detail
Image:Seattle - west on S Washington St at night 02.jpg|Looking west toward Pioneer Square at night Seattle - west on S Washington St at night 02.jpg|Looking west toward Pioneer Square at night
Image:Elliott Bay Books - author reading 01A.jpg|Author reading at Elliott Bay Books Elliott Bay Books - author reading 01A.jpg|Author reading at Elliott Bay Books
Image:Seattle Occidental 2.jpg|Occidental Mall on a "First Thursday": the evening when most Pioneer Square art galleries start their new shows Seattle Occidental 2.jpg|Occidental Mall on a "First Thursday": the evening when most Pioneer Square art galleries start their new shows
Image:27 Oct 2007 Seattle Demo 53.jpg|A political demonstration in Occidental Park 27 Oct 2007 Seattle Demo 53.jpg|A political demonstration in Occidental Park
Image:Seattle - King St. Station interior 11.jpg|Waiting room, King Street Station Seattle - King St. Station interior 11.jpg|Waiting room, King Street Station
Image:Seattle - Drexel Hotel Building.jpg|The upper portion of the Drexel Hotel Building is a wood-framer structure that predates the great fire, but it was re-clad with new materials after 1945 Seattle - Drexel Hotel Building.jpg|The upper portion of the Drexel Hotel Building is a wood-framed structure that predates the great fire, but it was re-clad with new materials after 1945
Image:Seattle - Delmar Bldg - State Hotel sign 01.jpg|The State Hotel Building preserves a sign from the Skid Road era Seattle - Delmar Bldg - State Hotel sign 01.jpg|The State Hotel Building preserves a sign from the Skid Road era
Image:Seattle - Barney's Loans sign 01.jpg|Barney's Loans continues as a pawn shop as of 2008 Seattle - Barney's Loans sign 01.jpg|Barney's Loans continues as a pawn shop as of 2008
SeattleOccidentalParkNight.JPG|Occidental Mall at night in February 2011
Excelsior V-Twins Seattle 1915.jpg|Motorcyclists in 1915.
Artists at All City Coffee 25.jpg|Artist gathering at All City Coffee, Pioneer Square in 2007
</gallery> </gallery>


==Notes== ==See also==
* ]
{{reflist}}


==References== ==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
<div class="references-small">

* Andrews, Mildred Tanner, editor, ''Pioneer Square: Seattle's Oldest Neighborhood'', ], Seattle and London 2005.
* Andrews, Mildred Tanner, editor, ''Pioneer Square: Seattle's Oldest Neighborhood'', ], Seattle and London 2005.
* Buerge, David, ''Seattle in the 1880s'', Historical Society of Seattle and King County, Seattle 1986. * Buerge, David, ''Seattle in the 1880s'', Historical Society of Seattle and King County, Seattle 1986.
* Morgan, Murray, ''Skid Road'', Ballantine Books (1960). * Morgan, Murray, ''Skid Road'', Ballantine Books (1960).
* Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, and Andersen, Dennis Alan, “After the Fire: The Influence of H. H. Richardson on the Rebuilding of Seattle, 1889-1894,” ''Columbia'' 17 (Spring 2003), pages 7-15. * Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, and Andersen, Dennis Alan, "After the Fire: The Influence of H. H. Richardson on the Rebuilding of Seattle, 1889-1894," ''Columbia'' 17 (Spring 2003), pages 7–15.
* Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, and Andersen, Dennis Alan, ''Distant Corner: Seattle Architects and the Legacy of H.H.Richardson'', ], Seattle and London 2003. * Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, and Andersen, Dennis Alan, ''Distant Corner: Seattle Architects and the Legacy of H.H.Richardson'', ], Seattle and London 2003.
* Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, and Andersen, Dennis Alan, “Meeting the Danger of Fire: Design and Construction in Seattle after 1889.” ''Pacific Northwest Quarterly'' 93 (Summer 2002), pages 115-126. * Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, and Andersen, Dennis Alan, "Meeting the Danger of Fire: Design and Construction in Seattle after 1889." ''Pacific Northwest Quarterly'' 93 (Summer 2002), pages 115–126.
* Warren, James R., ''The Day Seattle Burned: June 6, 1889'', Seattle 1989. * Warren, James R., ''The Day Seattle Burned: June 6, 1889'', Seattle 1989.

</div>
{{refend}}

==References==
{{reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{wikivoyage|Seattle/Pioneer Square-International District}}
{{commonscat}}
{{commons category|Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington}}
*, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods *, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
*, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods: extensive information about historic buildings and structures in the Pioneer Square neighborhood. *, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods: extensive information about historic buildings and structures in the Pioneer Square neighborhood.
* *
* *
*. A visual history of Pioneer Square and immediately surrounding neighborhoods, by the ].
*
*
*Steven Dutch, , includes numerous pictures of the neighborhood and the "underground"
*Steven Dutch, , includes numerous pictures of the neighborhood and the "underground"
*
*
* The only hotel located in Seattle's Pioneer Square District.
* The only hotel located in Seattle's Pioneer Square District.
* *


{{Pioneer Square, Seattle}}
{{Seattle neighborhoods}} {{Seattle neighborhoods}}
{{Streets in Seattle}}


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Latest revision as of 17:38, 26 October 2024

United States historic place
Pioneer Square–Skid Road District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Pioneer Square, Seattle is located in Seattle WA DowntownPioneer Square, SeattleShow map of Seattle WA DowntownPioneer Square, Seattle is located in Washington (state)Pioneer Square, SeattleShow map of Washington (state)
LocationSeattle, Washington
Built1853
ArchitectElmer H. Fisher (original)
Architectural styleLate Victorian, Romanesque (original)
Italianate, Romanesque (increase)
Chicago (2nd increase)
NRHP reference No.70000086 (original)
78000341 (increase 1)
88000739 (increase 2)
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 22, 1970
Boundary increasesJuly 7, 1978
June 16, 1988
Pioneer Square–Skid Road Historic District. This map also shows how Second Avenue Extension continues a piece of the north-of-Yesler street grid into the area south of Yesler Way. (The map dates from before the Kingdome was replaced by two new stadiums.)

Pioneer Square is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of Downtown Seattle, Washington, US. It was once the heart of the city: Seattle's founders settled there in 1852, following a brief six-month settlement at Alki Point on the far side of Elliott Bay. The early structures in the neighborhood were mostly wooden, and nearly all burned in the Great Seattle Fire of 1889. By the end of 1890, dozens of brick and stone buildings had been erected in their stead; to this day, the architectural character of the neighborhood derives from these late 19th century buildings, mostly examples of Richardsonian Romanesque.

The neighborhood takes its name from a small triangular plaza near the corner of First Avenue and Yesler Way, originally known as Pioneer Place. The Pioneer Square–Skid Road Historic District, a historic district including that plaza and several surrounding blocks, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Washington Park Building on Washington Street in the Pioneer Square neighborhood. It was built in 1890 just after the Great Seattle Fire and was originally the Lowman and Hanford Printing and Binding Building

Like virtually all Seattle neighborhoods, the Pioneer Square neighborhood lacks definitive borders. It is bounded roughly by Alaskan Way S. on the west, beyond which are the docks of Elliott Bay; by S. King Street on the south, beyond which is SoDo; by 5th Avenue S. on the east, beyond which is the International District; and it extends between one and two blocks north of Yesler Way, beyond which is the rest of Downtown. Because Yesler Way marks the boundary between two different plats, the street grid north of Yesler does not line up with the neighborhood's other streets (nor with the compass), so the northern border of the district zigzags along numerous streets.

In some places, the Pioneer Square–Skid Road Historic District extends beyond these borders. It includes Union Station east of 4th Avenue S., and several city blocks south of S. King Street.

History

Early history

The settlement's importance was guaranteed in 1852, when Henry Yesler chose the site for his lumber mill, which was located on Elliott Bay at the foot of what is now Yesler Way, right on the border between the land claimed (and soon thereafter platted) by David Swinson "Doc" Maynard (to the south) and that platted by Arthur Denny and Carson Boren.

Much of the neighborhood is on landfill: in pioneer times, the area roughly between First and Second Avenue, bounded on the south by Jackson Street, and extending north almost to Yesler Way (about two-and-a-half city blocks) was a low-lying offshore island. The mainland shore roughly followed what is now Yesler Way to about Fourth Avenue, then ran southeast, at an angle of about 45 degrees to the current shoreline. Slightly inland were steep bluffs, which were largely smoothed away by regrading in the late 19th and early 20th century.

"Below the Line"

Yesler Way, originally Mill Street, is the main east–west street through the Pioneer Square neighborhood. Immediately south of the square itself, it was the dividing line between Maynard's original claim (to the south) and Boren's (to the north). It became Deadline, the northern border of the Great Restricted District, Maynardtown, Down on the Sawdust, the Lava Beds, the Tenderloin, White Chapel, or Wappyville, (after Charles Wappenstein, after a particularly corrupt police chief.), where low entertainment and vice were long tolerated. One of the earliest names, and one that stuck well into second half of the 20th century, was "Skid Row".

1st Ave S, Pioneer Square district, 1901

Henry Broderick, approaching his 80th birthday in 1959, wrote of the neighborhood south of Yesler, "erhaps never in all history, certainly not in America, has there ever existed such a massive collection of the demimonde grouped in a restricted area." There were "parlor houses" with marquees, celebrity madames—among them Lou Graham, Lila Young, and Raw McRoberts—and piano "professors". Scrupulous in their dealings, the parlor houses were completely tolerated by the city at the time, but there were also the far more controversial "crib houses" such as the Midway, the Paris and Dreamland near the corner of Sixth Avenue South and King Street. Each had a hundred or more cubicles—"cribs"—and they were not known for any particular honesty in their dealings. The city health department conducted inspections and attempted to keep venereal disease under control, but the state of medicine at the time was not such as to give them any great chance of success. Besides the brothels there were "an ungodly mixture of dives, dumps ... pawnshops, hash houses, dope parlors and ... the et cetera that kept the police guessing." Box houses prospered, part theater, part bar, part brothel, as did all sorts of gambling. Police only dared enter the neighborhood in teams. Perhaps the only safe haven in the neighborhood was the saloon "Our House", which rented out safe deposit boxes.

In 1870, Father Francis Xavier Prefontaine founded Seattle's first Catholic Church, the Church of Our Lady of Good Help in the heart of this district, at Third Avenue South and Washington Street. Two decades later, Lou Graham opened the city's most famous parlor house diagonally across the street. Father Prefontaine is commemorated by a street in the neighborhood, Prefontaine Place.

Late 19th century

Pioneer Square pergola, 1914

By the end of 1889, Seattle had become the largest city in Washington with 40,000 residents. That same year, the Great Seattle Fire resulted in the complete destruction of Pioneer Square. However, the economy was strong at the time, so Pioneer Square was quickly rebuilt. Many of the new buildings show the influence of the Romanesque Revival architectural mode, although influence of earlier Victorian modes is also widespread. Because of drainage problems new development was built at a higher level literally burying the remains of old Pioneer Square. Anticipating the planned regrade, many buildings were built with two entrances, one at the old, low level, and another higher up. Visitors can take the Seattle Underground Tour to see what remains of the old storefronts.

Just before the fire, cable car service was instituted from Pioneer Square along Yesler Way to Lake Washington and the Leschi neighborhood.

In 1891, German-born Frederick Trump, President Donald Trump's grandfather, owned the Dairy Restaurant on Washington Street.

20th century

Pioneer Square, March 17, 1917. In the upper-right is the Smith Tower. Below it is the Seattle Hotel. On the left are the Pioneer Building and the pergola.

During the Klondike Gold Rush in 1897 and 1898, Seattle was a center for travel to Alaska. Thousands of so-called "stampeders" passed through Seattle making the city's merchants prosperous.

Pioneer Square totem pole in 2008

In 1899, a group of businessmen stole a Tlingit totem pole and placed it in Pioneer Place Park. When an arsonist destroyed the pole in 1938, the city sent the pieces back to the Tlingit tribe who carved a new one and gave it to Seattle (after finally getting paid for the one that was originally stolen).

In addition to the totem pole, a wrought-iron Victorian pergola designed by Julian F. Everett (Pioneer Square pergola), originally known as a comfort station and highly touted in tourism marketing, and a bust of Chief Seattle were added to the park in 1909.

1914 saw the completion of the Smith Tower, which at the time was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. However, by that time, the heart of Downtown Seattle had moved north. The building of Second Avenue Extension in 1928-29 reconfigured the eastern portion of the neighborhood, by extending a piece of the north-of-Yesler street grid south past Yesler and "slicing into buildings in its path". The cable car line serving the area was shut down on August 10, 1940.

1960s

In the 1960s, Pioneer Square became a target of urban renewal. One proposal was to replace the buildings with parking garages to serve Downtown Seattle. In 1962, the historic Seattle Hotel was replaced with one such parking garage, commonly referred to as the "Sinking Ship" garage because of its appearance when viewed from 1st and Yesler; it stands to this day. Another proposal was to build a ring road which would have required destroying many of Pioneer Square's buildings. Many buildings were saved by the "benign neglect" of landowner Sam Israel. Although he rarely sold any of his buildings, he sold the Union Trust Building to architect Ralph Anderson, whose rehabilitation of that building set the pattern for the neighborhood's rehabilitation. In 1970, preservationists such as Bill Speidel, Victor Steinbrueck, and others succeeded in listing the neighborhood as historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Later that year, Pioneer Square became a city preservation district.

1980s

Streetcar service returned to Pioneer Square on May 29, 1982, with the opening of the Waterfront Streetcar. The streetcar discontinued service on November 19, 2005, since its carbarn was razed to make room for the Olympic Sculpture Park.

21st century

In the 21st century, Pioneer Square is home to art galleries, internet companies, cafés, sports bars, nightclubs, bookstores, and a unit of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, the other unit of which is located in Skagway, Alaska.

Public art

Forest For The Trees

This public art initiative developed by ARTXIV in collaboration with the nonprofit Forest for the Trees, aimed at transforming Seattle's historic Pioneer Square into a year-round open-air gallery. The project features framed artworks displayed on building facades and in alleyways, blending contemporary art with the district's architectural heritage. The initiative supports artists through a commission-based model, with proceeds from artwork sales reinvested to sustain future installations. By integrating art into the urban environment, the project enhances community engagement and expands public access to creative expression.

Fallen Firefighters Memorial

Main article: Fallen Firefighters Memorial (Wu)

Each spring since 1989, on the weekend nearest June 6, the city has celebrated the Pioneer Square Fire Festival with a parade and display of antique and modern fire apparatus, demonstrations of fire fighter skills, food and craft booths, and a party. On June 6, 1998, the anniversary of the 1889 fire, fell on a Saturday. This year the Festival took on additional meaning when the Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial was dedicated. Thanks to the work of Battalion Chief Wes Goss and his Memorial Committee the bronze sculpture was now in place. On a granite block is inscribed the name of each Seattle fire fighter who died in the line of duty.

Gallery

  • Manufacturers Building now home to F. X. McRory Manufacturers Building now home to F. X. McRory
  • The heart of Pioneer Square The heart of Pioneer Square
  • The original Pioneer Square Totem Pole in 1907 The original Pioneer Square Totem Pole in 1907
  • Pioneer Square Totem Pole, 2007 Pioneer Square Totem Pole, 2007
  • The reconstructed Pioneer Square pergola The reconstructed Pioneer Square pergola
  • The Chin Gee Hee - Kon Yick Building, one of the last remnants of the historic Chinese presence in the neighborhood The Chin Gee Hee - Kon Yick Building, one of the last remnants of the historic Chinese presence in the neighborhood
  • The Scheuerman Block is an example of the Victorian interpretations of the Romanesque Revival frequently applied to buildings erected shortly after the Great Seattle Fire The Scheuerman Block is an example of the Victorian interpretations of the Romanesque Revival frequently applied to buildings erected shortly after the Great Seattle Fire
  • The Merchants Café, Seattle's oldest restaurant The Merchants Café, Seattle's oldest restaurant
  • Heritage Building, a typical early 20th century commercial building Heritage Building, a typical early 20th century commercial building
  • Cast iron pergola, detail Cast iron pergola, detail
  • Pioneer Building, detail Pioneer Building, detail
  • Stylized lion, entrance of Grand Central Hotel, Squire–Latimer Building Stylized lion, entrance of Grand Central Hotel, Squire–Latimer Building
  • Fisher Building, detail Fisher Building, detail
  • Looking west toward Pioneer Square at night Looking west toward Pioneer Square at night
  • Author reading at Elliott Bay Books Author reading at Elliott Bay Books
  • Occidental Mall on a "First Thursday": the evening when most Pioneer Square art galleries start their new shows Occidental Mall on a "First Thursday": the evening when most Pioneer Square art galleries start their new shows
  • A political demonstration in Occidental Park A political demonstration in Occidental Park
  • Waiting room, King Street Station Waiting room, King Street Station
  • The upper portion of the Drexel Hotel Building is a wood-framed structure that predates the great fire, but it was re-clad with new materials after 1945 The upper portion of the Drexel Hotel Building is a wood-framed structure that predates the great fire, but it was re-clad with new materials after 1945
  • The State Hotel Building preserves a sign from the Skid Road era The State Hotel Building preserves a sign from the Skid Road era
  • Barney's Loans continues as a pawn shop as of 2008 Barney's Loans continues as a pawn shop as of 2008
  • Occidental Mall at night in February 2011 Occidental Mall at night in February 2011
  • Motorcyclists in 1915. Motorcyclists in 1915.
  • Artist gathering at All City Coffee, Pioneer Square in 2007 Artist gathering at All City Coffee, Pioneer Square in 2007

See also

Further reading

  • Andrews, Mildred Tanner, editor, Pioneer Square: Seattle's Oldest Neighborhood, University of Washington Press, Seattle and London 2005.
  • Buerge, David, Seattle in the 1880s, Historical Society of Seattle and King County, Seattle 1986.
  • Morgan, Murray, Skid Road, Ballantine Books (1960).
  • Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, and Andersen, Dennis Alan, "After the Fire: The Influence of H. H. Richardson on the Rebuilding of Seattle, 1889-1894," Columbia 17 (Spring 2003), pages 7–15.
  • Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, and Andersen, Dennis Alan, Distant Corner: Seattle Architects and the Legacy of H.H.Richardson, University of Washington Press, Seattle and London 2003.
  • Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, and Andersen, Dennis Alan, "Meeting the Danger of Fire: Design and Construction in Seattle after 1889." Pacific Northwest Quarterly 93 (Summer 2002), pages 115–126.
  • Warren, James R., The Day Seattle Burned: June 6, 1889, Seattle 1989.

References

  1. "National Register Information System – (#70000086)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Pioneer Square Preservation District, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. Accessed November 29, 2007.
  3. Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, and Dennis Alan Andersen, Distant Corner: Seattle Architects and the Legacy of H. H. Richardson, University of Washington Press, Seattle, 2003. ISBN 0-295-98238-1. passim.
  4. Jones, Nard (1972), Seattle, Garden City, New York: Doubleday, p. 195, ISBN 0-385-01875-4
  5. Corley, Margaret A. (July 1969). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Pioneer Square - Skid Row District". National Archives (Original Boundary ed.). National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  6. Map near top of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Administrative History, Chapter 11: Establishing the Seattle Unit. Accessed online November 26, 2007.
  7. ^ Boswell, Sharon; McConaghy, Lorraine. "Chasing the wolves of sin". old.seattletimes.com. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  8. Morgan, Murray (2018). Skid Road. University of Washington Press. pp. 8–9, 30–31. ISBN 9780295743493.
  9. Rochester, Junius. "Wappenstein, Charles W. (1853-1931)". historylink.org. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  10. Morgan, Murray (1960). Skid Road: Seattle, Her First Hundred Years. Ballantine Books. pp. 6–7. ISBN 0-345-24310-2.
  11. ^ Broderick, Henry (1959). Early Seattle Profiles. Dogwood Press. p. 19. Source for "South of the Slot" and "Below the Line".
  12. Broderick, Henry (1959). Early Seattle Profiles. Dogwood Press. pp. 19–25.
  13. Broderick, Henry (1959). Early Seattle Profiles. Dogwood Press. pp. 37–42.
  14. Junius Rochester, Prefontaine, Father Francis Xavier (1838-1909), HistoryLink, December 2, 1998. Accessed online November 17, 2008.
  15. Broderick, Henry (1959). Early Seattle Profiles. Dogwood Press. p. 21.
  16. Trump, Fred (2024). All in the Family: The Trumps and How We Got This Way. London: Simon & Schuster. p. 12. ISBN 9781398541016. OCLC 1453469554. In November 1891, when he was twenty-two years old, he moved across the country to Seattle, where he bought a piece of property on the outskirts, then opened a restaurant on Washington Street in the city's raucous Pioneer Square, a lively district of saloons, gambling parlors, and brothels. He called his new business the Dairy Restaurant and offered food, booze, and very likely the same "Private Rooms for Ladies" its predecessor, an establishment called the Poodle Dog, advertised.
  17. ^ Summary for 318 2nd Ave Extension / Parcel ID 5247800930, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. Accessed online November 28, 2007.
  18. Paul Dorpat, An Art-full Restoration, Pacific Northwest Magazine, a Sunday supplement to the Seattle Times, January 26, 2003. Article about the Collins Building in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood. Accessed online December 1, 2007.
  19. Marcie Sillman, Downtown: The First Downtown Archived October 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, KUOW-FM, March 12, 2007. Accessed online December 3, 2007.
  20. SFD History:The 1990s. SFD History:The 1990s. Seattle Firefighters IAFF Local 27. Retrieved July 25, 2009.

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47°36′06″N 122°19′55″W / 47.60167°N 122.33194°W / 47.60167; -122.33194

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