Map of Pioneer Square Historic District - cleaned and corrected

Pioneer Square is a

neighborhood A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neigh ...

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 A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...

including that plaza and several surrounding blocks, is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

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

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...

s, 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 A union station, union terminal, joint station, or joint-use station is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway company, railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently bet ...

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". Source for "South of the Slot" and "Below the Line". Henry Broderick, approaching his 80th birthday in 1959, wrote of the neighborhood south of Yesler, " rhaps 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 A sexually transmitted infection (STI), also referred to as a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and the older term venereal disease (VD), is an infection that is spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, or ...

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." Gambling prospered, as did the Box houses: part theater, part bar, part brothel. 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

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 Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

's grandfather, owned the Dairy Restaurant on Washington Street.

20th century

During the Klondike Gold Rush in 1897 and 1898, Seattle was a center for travel to

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

. Thousands of so-called "stampeders" passed through Seattle, making the city's merchants prosperous. In 1899, a group of citizens stole a Tlingit totem pole and placed it in Pioneer Place Park. After the Tlingit demanded compensation for the theft, the group's organizers agreed to pay a settlement of $500. When an arsonist severely damaged the pole in 1938, the U.S. Forest Service hired a group of Tlingit artisans through the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was ...

to craft a replacement that was installed in 1940. In addition to the totem pole, an iron and glass pergola designed by Julian F. Everett as part of a lavish underground comfort station 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 The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. However, by that time, the heart of Downtown Seattle had moved north. The building of Second Avenue Extension in 1928-29Summary for 318 2nd Ave Extension / Parcel ID 5247800930
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. Accessed online November 28, 2007. 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 Urban renewal (sometimes called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address real or perceived urban decay. Urban renewal involves the clearing ...

. 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

. Later that year, Pioneer Square became a city preservation district.

1980s

Streetcar A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some include s ...

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,

. Rehabilitation of pre-existing buildings continues into the 21st century, including practices such as reinforcing brick walls with steel structures and renovating the interiors to meet modern comfort and safety standards.

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

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.SFD History:The 1990s.
SFD History:The 1990s. Seattle Firefighters IAFF Local 27. Retrieved July 25, 2009.

Gallery

Seattle - F. X. McRory Building 03.jpg, Manufacturers Building now home to F. X. McRory Seattle - Pioneer Square Park from Post Alley 01B.jpg, The heart of Pioneer Square Totem Pole - Pioneer Square - 1907.jpg, The original Pioneer Square Totem Pole in 1907 Seattle - Pioneer Square totem pole 01.jpg, Pioneer Square Totem Pole, 2007 Pioneer Square Pergola 01.jpg, The reconstructed Pioneer Square pergola Chin Gee Hee - Kon Yick Building 01.jpg, The Chin Gee Hee - Kon Yick Building, one of the last remnants of the historic Chinese presence in the neighborhood 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 Seattle - Merchants Cafe 01.jpg, The Merchants Café, Seattle's oldest restaurant Seattle - 101 S Jackson St 01.jpg, Heritage Building, a typical early 20th century commercial building Pioneer Square Pergola detail 01.jpg, Cast iron pergola, detail Seattle - Pioneer Building 01.jpg, Pioneer Building, detail Seattle - Grand Central Hotel entrance detail 02.jpg, Stylized lion, entrance of Grand Central Hotel, Squire–Latimer Building Seattle - Fisher Building 03A.jpg, Fisher Building, detail Seattle - west on S Washington St at night 02.jpg, Looking west toward Pioneer Square at night Elliott Bay Books - author reading 01A.jpg, Author reading at Elliott Bay Books Seattle Occidental 2.jpg, Occidental Mall on a "First Thursday": the evening when most Pioneer Square art galleries start their new shows 27 Oct 2007 Seattle Demo 53.jpg, A political demonstration in Occidental Park Seattle - King St. Station interior 11.jpg, Waiting room, King Street Station 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 Seattle - Delmar Bldg - State Hotel sign 01.jpg, The State Hotel Building preserves a sign from the Skid Road era 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

References

External links

*, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
Historic sites in Pioneer Square
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods: extensive information about historic buildings and structures in the Pioneer Square neighborhood.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Pioneer SquareSeattle/King Co. HistoryLink.org: Pioneer Square — Thumbnail HistoryDjidjila'letch to Pioneer Square
A visual history of Pioneer Square and immediately surrounding neighborhoods, by the Burke Museum.
Guide to the Pioneer Square Preservation District Records 1970-1997
*Steven Dutch
Seattle Underground
includes numerous pictures of the neighborhood and the "underground"
Pioneer Squares Contemporary Art HistoryPioneer Square Seattle Hotel
The only hotel located in Seattle's Pioneer Square District.

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