The 1920s brick building directly across the street from the Queen Anne library branch has been nominated for Landmark Status. The Seattle Public Library owns the former Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Building and it’s planning to sell the building. As part of the sale preparation, it has submitted a landmark nomination to the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board.
Built in 1921 and 1929 (two phases), the building at 1529 4th Ave W sits on a 12,000 square foot lot. After a third story was added in the 1930s, bringing the total square footage to just over 23, 000 square feet. SPL acquired the building in the 1970s, converting it to a warehouse.
Per the nomination:
“If a property is designated as a city landmark, it comes under the jurisdiction of the LPB [Landmark Preservation Board] for design reviews and approval of proposed changes to specific historic features. Typical designated features include a building’s exterior and site, and significant public interior spaces. However, a property owner may still develop the property.”
The nomination includes a detailed history of the building, courtesy of the Queen Anne Historical Society. It’s an interesting write-up that is required reading for any history buffs – it covers the history of the building and the early days of telephone and telegraph industry on Queen Anne. Plus, it has several historic photos of the building, including this one from 1936:
If you have comments for the nomination, you can attend a public meeting:
Seattle’s Landmarks Preservation Board meeting
Wednesday, March 16 at 3:30pm
Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Avenue, 40th Floor (Room 4060)
If you can’t make the meeting, you can submit written comments. Comments must be received by the Landmarks Preservation Board at the following address by March 15 at 3:00pm:
Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
PO Box 94649
Seattle, WA 98124-4649
There’s no indication yet of what type of development could happen at the site, but if the building is approved for Landmark Status, the exterior would likely remain intact – or at least have a chance at remaining as-is (with some earthquake retrofitting), as any design reviews would include approval from the Landmark Preservation Board.