The Washington Athletic Club, founded in 1930, is a private

social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives from ...

and athletic club located in

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...

. The 21-story WAC clubhouse opened in December 1930, and was designed in the

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unit ...

style by Seattle architect Sherwood D. Ford. The five-story WAC includes a 25-yard pool, full-size basketball court, running track, handball and racquetball courts, and

pilates Pilates (; ) is a type of mind-body exercise developed in the early 20th century by German physical trainer Joseph Pilates, after whom it was named. Pilates called his method "Contrology". It is practiced worldwide, especially in countries suc ...

and yoga studios. The top ten floors house the Inn at the WAC, a 109-room boutique hotel. The club also offers a full-service

day spa A day spa is a business that provides a variety of services for the purpose of improving health, beauty, and relaxation through personal care treatments such as massages and facials. The number of day spas in the US almost doubled in the t ...

and a wellness center with nutrition, physical therapy, and naturopathic services. The building is also home to three restaurants, a private ballroom, social areas, and numerous meeting spaces. The idea of the

Century 21 Exposition The Century 21 Exposition (also known as the Seattle World's Fair) was a world's fair held April 21, 1962, to October 21, 1962, in Seattle, Washington, United States. In 2009, the Washington Athletic Club became a City of Seattle Landmark, and in 2018 its 6th Street building was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

History

Club's early formation and plans

In mid 1927, Seattle newcomer and

realtor A real estate agent or real estate broker is a person who represents sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and agen ...

Noel B. Clarke put together a committee of Seattle attorneys,

capitalist Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, private ...

s and bankers to raise money to form a new athletic club to serve the city's skyrocketing population. They began soliciting $100 founders' memberships to hire an architect and construct a clubhouse and by early 1928 over 1,000 had been collected. Funds were stored in a trust that couldn't be accessed until 2,000 memberships were sold. In February 1928, Clarke announced a 120 x 96' site had been chosen at the corner of 6th and University Streets. The committee hired the Seattle architectural firm of Baker, Vogel & Roush to design a building. Their plans were of an elegant twelve-story structure with

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

influences. The building would cost around $1 million and construction was to begin in June 1928. By March 1928, only 1,200 of the needed 2,000 members had signed up for the new club, causing a delay in the plans. More troubles arose in May 1928 when Clarke, the club's biggest single promoter, quit the board because of difficulties dealing with the Seattle Real Estate Board.Anderson, C.L. "It's Silver-Jubilee Time at Washington Athletic Club" ''Seattle Times'' February 5, 1956. Pg. 2. After the passing of the original construction deadline, a new board of 26 of Seattle's most prominent businessmen came together to continue Clarke's work. The new committee chose to scrap the club's original design, now becoming dated, and hired architect Sherwood D. Ford to design something different at a new site chosen at the southwest corner of 6th Avenue and Union Street, owned by W.D. Comer, then president of the club and a holder of major financial interest. Ford's first proposal was for an elaborate 12-story building in the Mission Revival Style, unique to the region and similar in style to Seattle's Fox Theatre that Ford would later design. A large enclosed swimming pool would be located on the roof and, according to a rendering published in the August 23, 1928 issue of the ''

Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington st ...

'', would have closely resembled the grand hall of Seattle's Union Station. With the club finally reaching its membership quota, their impounded funds were made available for use and an October 1928 date was proposed for construction to begin. In late September 1928, plans had changed again and club officials brought in Kenneth McCleod, manager of the

Olympic Club The Olympic Club is an athletic club and private social club in San Francisco, California. First named the "San Francisco Olympic Club", it is the oldest athletic club in the United States. Established on May 6, 1860, its first officers were ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

, to consult with architect Ford to re-design the building in a way that would make optimal use of the lot. After an inspection of the site, Ford & McLeod left for an extended trip across the country to inspect and tour other metropolitan athletic clubs and gather ideas for the new design.

New plans and construction

Seattle - Washington Athletic Club detail 02

Sherwood Ford's findings resulted in a new set of plans for a structure priced at $2.3 million. The new design was of an imposing 21-story

art deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unit ...

skyscraper with a central tower. It would be constructed of

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low ultimate tensile strength, tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion ...

and

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistan ...

while the exterior consisted of brick and decorative

terracotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terra ...

tile and would be completely fireproof. Ford announced in a board meeting that the clubhouse "will be the very last word in structures of this kind and will rank among the best found anywhere." Additional financing was secured and Comer announced that construction would finally begin for sure by the end of 1929."$2,300,000 Athletic Club is Assured; Plans Complete to Finance New Downtown Work" ''Seattle Times'' September 29, 1929. Pg. 5. The site at Sixth and Union, previously leased by the club from A.M. Goldstein and Dorn & Derneden, was officially purchased on October 30 and razing of the buildings on the site began 30 days later. While the Stock Market Crashed in October 1929, Seattle wouldn't immediately feel the effects and construction went ahead. The

groundbreaking Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod, or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are ...

ceremony was held on Monday, December 16, 1929 at noon when a

steam shovel A steam shovel is a large steam-powered excavating machine designed for lifting and moving material such as rock and soil. It is the earliest type of power shovel or excavator. Steam shovels played a major role in public works in the 19th a ...

driven by Reginald H. Parsons, chairman of the board of governors for the club, overturned the first load of dirt. City officials as well as club members and presidents of neighboring clubs were in attendance. The event was followed by a luncheon for board members at the Olympic Hotel. Construction commenced immediately with the steel structure of the building. The Wallace Bridge Company, who also constructed the structures of the

Harborview Medical Center Harborview Medical Center is a public hospital located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. It is managed by UW Medicine. Overview Harborview Medical Center is the designated Disaster Control Hospital for Seat ...

in Seattle and the

St. Johns Bridge The St. Johns Bridge is a steel suspension bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States, between the Cathedral Park neighborhood in North Portland and the Linnton and Northwest Industrial neighborhoods in Northwest ...

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous ...

, manufactured and assembled the building's steel frame. Over 1,200

ton Ton is the name of any one of several units of measure. It has a long history and has acquired several meanings and uses. Mainly it describes units of weight. Confusion can arise because ''ton'' can mean * the long ton, which is 2,240 pounds ...

s of steel was used in construction with the beams over the main ballroom weighing 18 tons each. The steel frame was then encased in concrete. Tragedy struck on April 26, 1930 when Albert J. Triggs, superintendent for the Sound Construction Company was crushed to death when a section of the concrete structure collapsed on top of him. The steel frame was mostly completed by July and the brick sheathing followed soon after. By late December 1930 the building would be complete at a total cost of $2.5 million."Washington Athletic Club Building Opens Tonight" ''Seattle Times'' December 16, 1930. Pg. 10.

Grand opening and design

Seattle - Washington Athletic Club detail 01

The Washington Athletic Club officially opened on December 16, 1930 followed by a week long celebration of dining, dancing and facility touring. Upon completion, the club, dubbed 'the skyscraper of sports' by local media, made a major addition to Seattle's skyline and was even erroneously said to be taller than Seattle's other art deco skyscraper, the

Northern Life Tower The Seattle Tower, originally known as the Northern Life Tower, is a 27-story skyscraper in downtown Seattle, Washington. The building is located on 1218 Third Avenue and is known as Seattle's first art-deco Art Deco, short for the Frenc ...

. While the latter contained seven more floors, the W.A.C.'s floors were claimed to be taller. Of special note at the time was that out of

superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs ...

, the building had no 13th floor, or at least according to the elevators whose buttons skipped from 12 to 14. A full-page article in the ''Seattle Times'' from December 16, described the layout of the new building in detail: Women were largely segregated from men in the new quarters, having their own entrance and elevator as described by the article: The fourth floor contained the men's grill restaurant while the above that were the men's area including most of the athletic aspects of the club: The entire seventh and eighth floors were occupied by the swimming pool while the ninth floor, the top floor of the building's base section, contained sleeping rooms for guests of club members. The twelve story tower contained 125 hotel-like rooms "for the use of club members" while a conference room occupied the very top floor. The Athletic club soon became the social epicenter of Washington's athletic community and hosted many luncheons and social gatherings. The club also became a center for training local athletes for professional careers as well as for the Olympics. The club enthusiastically hired Ray Daughters, swimming coach at the

Crystal Pool Natatorium Crystal Pool Natatorium was a saltwater indoor swimming pool in Seattle, Washington. It was eventually adapted for use as Bethel Temple. It was designed by B. Marcus Priteca and built from 1915 to 1918. The pool was covered with boards and the ve ...

. With him to the club followed his young protege,

Helene Madison Helene Emma Madison (June 19, 1913 – November 27, 1970) was an American competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder. Madison won three gold medals in freestyle event at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, becomin ...

. The club's pool would later be named in her honor.

Financial troubles and the Great Depression

The

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

began to affect many social clubs across the nation who saw their memberships begin to taper off and the wave soon reached the west coast. Within a short time of opening some 500 members withdrew from the club because of the shock to their finances. It was reported that in the first three months, the club was losing $10,000 a month. In 1931, W.D. Comer became caught up in the backlash from the financial crash and was sent to jail. The club was threatened with

receivership In law, receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver—a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights"—especially in c ...

and under the decision of judge Howard M. Finlay, reorganization was begun. The WAC building was purchased by Seattle businessmen Victor Elfendahl, Gilbert Skinner and William Edris. They refinanced the club and exchanged third mortgage bonds for

preferred stock Preferred stock (also called preferred shares, preference shares, or simply preferreds) is a component of share capital that may have any combination of features not possessed by common stock, including properties of both an equity and a debt inst ...

. Seeing tight times ahead, they tried to make their club more friendly to more people. Several measures taken by the new owners included offering more moderately priced items in the restaurant, creating more family oriented functions, and adding more card rooms and a quiet room. Due to the club's large size, it was made known by the owners that it could only be operated with full membership. In an attempt to stay in business, the owners began an aggressive new premium membership program, hoping to sign on 1,200 new members which luckily was a quick success. During the

1936 Olympics 1936 Olympics may refer to: *The 1936 Winter Olympics, which were held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany *The 1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German language, German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

, the Washington Athletic Club and

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seatt ...

were represented by 23 athletes, one of which was swimmer

Jack Medica Jack Chapman Medica (October 5, 1914 – April 15, 1985) was an American competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in two events. At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, Medica won a gold medal in the 400-met ...

, who set a new world record of 4:44:5 in the 400 m freestyle.

1940s to today

In May 1940,

Eddie Bauer Eddie Bauer, LLC is an American clothing store chain headquartered in Seattle, Seattle, Washington. Eddie Bauer sells its merchandise via retail stores, outlet stores, and online and via phone, with a call center in Groveport, Ohio. Its flagship ...

moved his fast-growing sporting goods business into the ground floor retail spaces of the building, his fourth move in little more than five years. The store later moved again to third and Virginia Streets. By the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, a historic decision was made by the club membership to buy the building from its owner, The Washington Athletic Club Holding Co., who had been renting the building to them since 1936 at a rate of $12,500 a month, for $1.35 million. Even though the payments would follow the same rate as the rent, the wealthy club members would own the building within 5 and a half years. By the 1950s, the club was beginning to outgrow its old building, now overflowing with use by over 5,000 members. In August 1953, The Washington Athletic club purchased the property to the south on which to build a three-story annex, designed by architect Harrison Overturf, which broke ground on June 24, 1954. The original building also received a major interior remodeling by interior decorator Lou Garner Swift in 1955. The new addition opened in time for the club's Silver Jubilee in 1955. An additional eight stories were added to the annex in 1970 along with further interior remodeling. The original 6th street entrance was moved into the new building and the old lobby was closed; the original 3-story entrance arch was removed entirely to avoid confusion. By 2000, the WAC had over 21,000 members and claims to have the largest membership of any health club in the country. As of today, the building houses the successful "Inn at the WAC" on the upper floors as well as gym space. The club is still the site of numerous social gatherings, lectures and is especially popular for business meetings. In July 2007, the WAC Building was one of 38 surveyed buildings in and around downtown Seattle deemed eligible for landmark status.Chan, Sharon Pian
38 properties eyed as historic
''Seattle Times'' July 12, 2007. Retrieved October 8, 2010. It became official on April 9, 2010."City of Seattle Legislative Information Service - Ordinance Number: 122948." City of Seattle: City Clerk's Online Information.

City of Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of N ...

, April 6, 2009. Web. October 8, 2010
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Gallery

Image:Seattle - Washington Athletic Club detail 03.jpg, View of roof-line details Image:Seattle - Washington Athletic Club detail 04.jpg, more roof-line details Image:Seattle - Washington Athletic Club 01.jpg, Looking south down 6th Avenue towards the building File:Section of Washington Athletic Club Building in Seattle, Washington.jpg, Section of Washington Athletic Club Building

References

External links

Washington Athletic Club Website

Historical Sites Survey of the Washington Athletic Club at Seattle Department of Neighborhoods

Historic images relating to The Washington Athletic Club from the University of Washington Special Collections

Historic images relating to The Washington Athletic Club from the Museum of History and Industry
{{Authority control Buildings and structures completed in 1930 1930s architecture in the United States 1930 establishments in Washington (state) Art Deco skyscrapers Buildings and structures in Seattle Clubhouses in Washington (state) Clubs and societies in the United States Skyscraper hotels in Seattle Gentlemen's clubs in the United States Sports organizations established in 1930 Downtown Seattle National Register of Historic Places in Seattle