Known alternately as the Legion Building and the Spokane Club, this Second Empire styled building at Washington and Riverside in downtown Spokane was first home to the Spokane Club, later the Chamber of Commerce, Metals Bank and other enterprises before it was purchased by the American Legion in 1946. When built it was touted thus: "
The Club occupied the fourth, fifth and sixth floors. The fifth and sixth floors, especially, created the rich ambiance appropriate for Spokane's finest club. Indeed, the local press extolled the well appointed club as one of the best in the west". Strangely, though, the Spokane remained in the building only until 1912, when it moved to its new digs further west on Riverside.
Before the building was bought by the Legion it lost its upper floor, complete with mansard roof, to a fire in 1939. Many years after it was a Legion building, sometime after the mid nineties, the upper floor was rebuilt to essentially its original glory. Below is a photo of the building as it was post fire and pre rebuild, sometime in the late '60's.
Spokane Club
108 N. Washington St - Historic Name: Spokane Club
Built: 1900 - Style: Commercial Vernacular/Second Empire
Builder: F. Lewis Clark - Architect: Clarence Z. Hubbell
Spokane Historical notes that J.K. Dow was the architect
Classification: Historic Contributing
Description: The Spokane Club is a five-story buff brick building with a stone foundation. After a 1939 fire destroyed its mansard roof, a flat-roof was installed. A tall brick chimney is located at the northeast corner of the refurbished roof. Parts of the lower section of the destroyed roof were incorporated into the present flat parapet wall, and the original sub-cornice entablature, with dentils and massive terra cotta brackets, became the primary cornice. The three upper levels of the west and south facades feature rectangular window openings with terra cotta lintels and sills. They contain original wood sash double hung windows. Above the third level are several massive terra cotta and concrete sub-cornices, with scrolled brackets, that are currently being restored. The central sub-cornice of the west side actually serves as a balcony for a two-story alcove set behind fluted Ionic columns with volutes.
The lower two floors are clad in rusticated sandstone, striated horizontally. Sandstone jack arches of the second-story windows are incorporated into this scheme. The storefronts are mostly boarded over and under renovation, but it does appear that some display and transom windows may remain behind temporary covering. Walls of the secondary north and east elevations are of common red brick with segmental arched brick windows. The Integrity of the upper exterior walls is good. The terra cotta and concrete balconies and sub-cornices are crumbling but are being restored by the current owner, who is also restoring other original elements of the structure, including the mansard roof.
Cultural Data: F. Lewis Clark built this structure in 1900 for the Spokane Club. Clark was a wealthy businessman, who had made his money through the C & C Mills and real estate and mining investments. Clark, with Charles Sweeny, also built the Empire State Building. The original design included Beaux Arts and Second Empire stylistic elements, unusual hi Spokane.
The Spokane Club occupied the building until 1910, when that organization moved to its new building at Riverside and Monroe. Subsequently, the Spokane Chamber of Commerce occupied the building until the early 1930s, when the Metals Bank of Montana bought the structure. In 1948, the American Legion occupied the second floor, while renting the upper stories and storefronts. Pacific Securities bought the building in 1973, continuing to rent most of the space. Over the years, a variety of businesses were located in the several storefronts of the building, including McNab's Drug Store, the Tyler-Little Hardware Company, Sy's Corner, and, more recently, Time Jewelry. The rapid turnover in storefront occupation has resulted
in the usual extensive modifications.
From the NRHP Nomination Form