The Breslin is a historic six-story building in the Cliff/Cannon neighborhood of

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the ...

. 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 aft ...

in the

Classical Revival style Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

, With and built in 1910 by W.H. Stanley with " Tenino sandstone, press red brick and cream-colored terra cotta" at a cost of $100,000. The six-story, flat-roofed building is L-shaped, with wings along Eighth Avenue and Bernard Street. The two wings surround a courtyard in the rear of the building. This design gives each apartment a view out either onto Eighth Avenue, Bernard Street or the courtyard. There is also a daylight basement allowed for by the sloping hill along Bernard. The exterior is composed of red brick with white terra cotta ornamentation. Aside from its age alone, the Breslin is a historically significant building due to the community it was built to house. Spokane's population boomed in late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the city faced a housing shortage. For poor and working class people, the shortage was alleviated by the presence of hotels, boarding houses and flats for rent. However, there was little available housing stock for middle class people who did not own a home. Prior to 1900, the city listings showed no "apartment homes" in Spokane. Between 1900 and 1907 the city added over 40,000 people, and the city turned to the construction of apartment homes to help ease the housing shortage. Unlike other early apartment homes, which appeared as if they were large single-family homes or luxury clubs and hotels, the Breslin's design was forthright about its purpose. The Breslin, along with other buildings designed by Held, were among the very first apartment homes built in Spokane specifically for middle and upper-middle class tenants. It has been 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 artist ...

since February 12, 1987. The Breslin, along with the Amman, Knickerbocker and

San Marco San Marco is one of the six sestieri of Venice, lying in the heart of the city as the main place of Venice. San Marco also includes the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. Although the district includes Saint Mark's Square, that was never admi ...

buildings, all designed by Held, were listed on the NRHP together as part of a thematic group nomination. All four are considered significant examples of early 20th century apartment construction. The Breslin was sold for $6.5 million in 2021. At the time, the Breslin was home to 46 units ranging from studio apartments to one and two-bedroom units. In June of 2022, the new owners filed a permit for renovations that would include the addition of eight studio apartment units to the basement and first story of the building.

Gallery

Breslin Entrance.png, Detail view of the Breslin's main entrance Breslin Courtyard.png, View of the Breslin's rear courtyard

References

National Register of Historic Places in Spokane County, Washington Neoclassical architecture in Washington (state) Buildings and structures completed in 1910 {{Washington-NRHP-stub

Gallery

See also

References