Pioneer Building Front - Seattle, WA - Frieze Art on Waymarking.com

In the Pioneer Square section of Seattle is the Pioneer Building that dominates the city square. This building is a brick and stone building, designed by Elmer Fisher, a local architect who designed about half of the buildings after Seattle's Great Fire of 1889. The front entrance is near the center of the building, facing the square, and it is surrounded by beautiful and ornate stonework that extends all the way to the roof.

The entrance is in an alcove that has a semi-circular arch. Flanking the entrance is reddish stone-work in the form of several columns. The arch is formed by the grey stonework that is supported by the red columns. In that arch are carved the words "Pioneer Building," and other detail work is carved in the area between the letters, above the columns, and the borders around the letters. Roughly hewn stones are around the letter carvings, then two projections above them with detailed carvings jut out that are the bases to two tall grey stone columns that go up to the roof above the 6th floor. The stonework around the second floor windows have column and arch features around the windows. At the top of the building, between the grey columns, is carved stone work in a red stone that bears the words "Pioneer Building."

The Pioneer building was completed in 1892, after the Great Seattle Fire. It was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style that was popular at that time.

By the 1960s the Pioneer Square area was in disrepair, and the buildings around were largely empty. These buildings, including this one, were threatened with demolition. One building next to the building, the Seattle Hotel, was demolished, but local citizen efforts saved others including the Pioneer Building. In 1978, the building was included on the National Register of Historic Places.

Now, among other things, the building is the headquarters of the Seattle Underground Tour, which includes the stories of various buildings and businesses in this area.

Artist: Elmer Fisher Address: 5th Avenue and Yesler Way Seattle, WA Web URL to relevant information: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
Logging requirements: Please upload your own personal photos of the building and a piece of art (minimum 1).

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   08/21/2022 prussel visited it 08/18/2018 tnwave visited it 08/08/2016 Kladings visited it 11/15/2015 gsbarnes visited it 06/21/2015 WalksfarTX visited it 10/10/2014 quigquay visited it 01/14/2013 petendot visited it 12/30/2012 NW_history_buff visited it 09/18/2012 T0SHEA visited it 08/16/2012 cologne geckos visited it 04/13/2012 firesafe visited it 08/18/2011 Der Wald-Pirat visited it

View all visits/logs