Amman or Ammann, in the Browne's Addition neighborhood of Spokane, Washington is a building constructed in 1904. It was designed by architect

Albert Held Albert Held (March 25, 1866 – 1924) was an American architect. He was born in New Ulm, Minnesota on March 25, 1866, and studied for two years at the University of Minnesota. He first worked as a draftsman Held moved to Spokane, Washington afte ...

. The building was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Although the National Register of Historic Places list the property under the name Amman the Spokane Register of Historic Places lists the building as Ammann. As of 2022, the building is known as The Dormitory and home to a mix of retail and office space surrounding the central common area on the first and second stories. Retail on the first floor, as of 2022 includes a coffee shop and roaster, and a bakery and cheese shop.

History

In August 1903, the lot Amman stands on was sold to Caroline Ammann by the Northwestern and Pacific Hypotheekbank. Construction began by March 1904, when Apartment units in the building were advertised in the local paper, The Spokesman-Review. The building was used as housing until 1985, when it underwent a National Park Service certified rehabilitation turning the apartments into office space. The renovation was done by Wells & Company, a company specializing in certified renovations of old and historic buildings. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of a thematic group containing San Marco,

Breslin Breslin is a surname that originates from ga, Ó Breisleáin. The name loosely translates as "strife". Notable Breslins Actors * Abigail Breslin, American actress * Mark Breslin, Canadian comedian, actor, public speaker and businessman * Patr ...

and Knickerbocker Apartment Buildings.

Description

The two-story building sits on a tree lined street in Browne's Addition, the neighborhood has a uniquely residential feel considering its proximity to the city center. The lot to the west of the building is used for parking. Due to its location, the building offers views of the Spokane River. Of the buildings in the thematic group, the Amman Apartments had the simplest design, with a square footprint rather than the U, H and L shapes of the other apartment buildings built by Held. The building design can most easily be described as classical. The apartment units had clear delineation of living and entertainment spaces by use of narrow hallways in order to separate the design from common "railroad" plans. Another unique feature is that all rooms had an exterior view, instead of the common light court of the era. The common hallway features a large curved stairway and access to the balcony above the

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

on the second story.

Gallery

Amman Entrance.png, Detail view of the main entrance Amman Staircase.png, Staircase to second story Amman Second Floor.png, Second story showing parallel staircases

References

{{National Register of Historic Places Residential buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state) Buildings and structures completed in 1904 Buildings and structures in Spokane, Washington National Register of Historic Places in Spokane, Washington