Pullman Flatiron Building

Last updated

Pullman Flatiron Building
Pullman, WA Flatiron Building.jpg
Flatiron Building in 2010. Non-matching flat-toned brickwork towards the front, rather than use of tapestry brick, reflects reconstruction after 1994 damage.
LocationE. Main St. & S. Grand Ave., Pullman, Washington
Coordinates 46°43′46″N117°10′55″W / 46.72955°N 117.18182°W / 46.72955; -117.18182 Coordinates: 46°43′46″N117°10′55″W / 46.72955°N 117.18182°W / 46.72955; -117.18182
Built1905
USA Washington location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Pullman Flatiron Building in Washington (state)

The Pullman Flatiron Building in downtown Pullman, Washington, in Whitman County, also known as Flatiron Building, was constructed in 1904-05. It faces Main Street and is located between Grand Avenue and the High Street plaza. It was designed by William Swain, a prolific local architect who is considered to be Pullman's first. [1] [2] The two-story flatiron was built as an office building in a triangular shape, on what's stated to be the only triangular lot in the city, conforming to the angle between two grids of streets. [3] Multiple businesses have occupied the building over its lifetime, including banks, insurance companies, and a dentist. [4]

Contents

History

Architect

William Swain was born in England in 1861 and immigrated to the United States at twenty years old. He first resided in Minnesota, where he worked as a carpenter, contractor, and finally an architect, before he moved to Pullman around 1891. [5] He then designed and constructed buildings throughout the Palouse region. Two of the buildings that remain standing are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a Craftsman Style house now known as the William Swain House, at 315 West Main Street, about two blocks west of the Flatiron, [6] and the Greystone Church, originally the New Presbyterian Church, which is located at 430 NE Maple Street. [2]

Swain built several other buildings in Pullman which are no longer in existence. He designed the original City Hall built in 1892. It served as the city hall until the 1930s when it became the police department and fire station building. It was later demolished in the 1980s and is marked only by a small plaque today. [6] He also designed the Artesian Hotel in 1893, which was located directly across Grand Avenue from the site of the Flatiron. The Artesian Hotel was destroyed by fire in the 1920s. [6] The original high school of Pullman was also a design of William Swain's. It was built in 1893 and was destroyed by fire in the 1920s, and was later rebuilt. [6]

In addition to architecture and construction, Swain also worked in the local government. He first served two terms as city clerk twice before elected as treasurer. He next became a Police Court Judge and then Justice of the Peace. Finally, he served two years as Pullman Mayor from 1917 to 1919. [5]

He was a member of, or otherwise associated with, the Knights of Pythias, the Woodmen of the World and the Foresters fraternal societies. [5]

Flatiron Building construction

The building's construction started two years after the building of the more famous Flatiron Building in New York City, which was built as a 20-story, steel-framed skyscraper. The Pullman building, instead, is two-stories tall and is held up by load-bearing brick walls. [7]

Businesses in the Flatiron

The Flatiron Building has been home to many businesses since its completion. In the beginning, the front office was used by Grain Companies, Pullman Savings and Loan, and Farmers State Bank. More recently, State Farm Insurance occupied the front office, from 1957 into the 1990s and was commonly associated with the Flatiron Building, and being located on such a prominent corner. [8] Dr. Low's dental office was located on the upper floor of the Flatiron building for a period of time as well. [9] Dr. Marc Swindal opened his optometry practice in the Flatiron Building in 1951 and became the building owner in 1969. [10] [ failed verification ] Selene Santucci set up an art studio on the second floor and became a permanent resident of the Flatiron Building. She became the building owner after Swindal retired. [11] Various modern businesses now inhabit the ground floor.

1994 damage and restoration

Some preservation has already been necessary, after a destructive accident in February 1994. A runaway 25-ton front-end loader came barreling down the road and smashed into the prow of the building, reducing about one-fourth of the building to rubble. [12] [ page needed ] After clean-up, both floors were left exposed and were closed off. [13] [ page needed ] It was determined that the building was still safe and structurally sound, since the floors and structural beams ran parallel to the collision, which ultimately saved it from demolition. [14] After several months of reconstruction, the Flatiron was completed with new elements included. The front façade of the building featured new arched windows on both floors, and a front door framed with windows. Green awnings were added to the doorways along the ground floor, and lamps were placed in the walls. [14] With these exceptions, Swindal chose to restore the façade as accurately as possible, to maintain the original historic look the building, including some use of intact bricks salvaged from the rubble. [8] The resulting restoration can be seen in the 2010 photo above, however it is clear that the brickwork at the front does not match the original tapestry brick of the rest of the building.

In 2023, the building's "prow", at the intersection of Main Street and Grand Avenue, has been prominent in Pullman for almost 120 years. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moscow, Idaho</span> City in northern Idaho, United States

Moscow is a city in North Central Idaho, United States. Located along the state border with Washington, it had a population of 25,435 at the 2020 census. The county seat and largest city of Latah County, Moscow is the home of the University of Idaho, the state's land-grant institution and primary research university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colfax, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Colfax is the county seat of Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,805 at the 2010 census. The population is estimated at 2,911 per the State of Washington Office of Financial Management in 2018 making Colfax the second largest city in Whitman County behind Pullman. It is situated amidst wheat-covered hills in a valley at the confluence of the north and south forks of the Palouse River. U.S. Route 195, which forms the town's main street, intersects with State Route 26 at the north end of town; in the past, Colfax also lay at the junction of three major railway lines. It was named after Schuyler Colfax, the vice president from 1869–73.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pullman, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, located in southeastern Washington within the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. The population was 29,799 at the 2010 census, and estimated to be 34,506 in 2019. Originally founded as Three Forks, the city was renamed after industrialist George Pullman in 1884.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flatiron Building</span> Historic triangular office skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

The Flatiron Building, originally the Fuller Building, is a triangular 22-story, 285-foot-tall (86.9 m) steel-framed landmarked building at 175 Fifth Avenue in the eponymous Flatiron District neighborhood of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Designed by Daniel Burnham and Frederick P. Dinkelberg, it was completed in 1902 and originally contained 20 floors. The building sits on a triangular block formed by Fifth Avenue, Broadway, and East 22nd Street—where the building's 87-foot (27 m) back end is located—with East 23rd Street grazing the triangle's northern (uptown) peak. The name "Flatiron" derives from its triangular shape, which recalls that of a cast-iron clothes iron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gooderham Building</span> Office building in Toronto, Ontario

The Gooderham Building, also known as the Flatiron Building, is an historic office building at 49 Wellington Street East in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the eastern edge of the city's Financial District in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood, wedged between Front Street and Wellington Street in Downtown Toronto, where they join up to form a triangular intersection. Completed in 1892, the red-brick edifice was an early example of a prominent flatiron building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone</span> Culinary college in St. Helena, California

The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone is a branch campus of the private culinary college the Culinary Institute of America. The Greystone campus, located on State Route 29/128 in St. Helena, California, offers associate degrees and two certificate programs in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts. The CIA at Greystone and the Culinary Institute of America at Copia make up the school's California branch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flatiron Building (Fort Worth, Texas)</span> Building in Texas, United States

The Flatiron Building is located in downtown Fort Worth, Texas, at the corner of Houston and West 9th streets. At the time of its completion in 1907 it was one of the city's first steel frame buildings and the tallest building in north Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flatiron Building (Bellingham, Washington)</span> United States historic place

The Hamilton Building also known as The Flatiron Building of Bellingham and the Bellingham Bay Furniture Building was the first "skyscraper" in Bellingham. Built in 1908 for Talifero Simpson Hamilton's growing Bellingham Bay (B.B.) Furniture Company established in 1889, the building cost $100,000 and used thirty-five thousand barrels of cement along with 200,000 pounds of steel. Due to its triangular shape and resemblance to the Fuller Building in New York, the building instantly garnered the flatiron nickname. It was Bellingham's tallest structure until 1926.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cass Park Historic District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Cass Park Historic District is a historic district in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, consisting of 25 buildings along the streets of Temple, Ledyard, and 2nd, surrounding Cass Park. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 and designated a city of Detroit historic district in 2016.

The Moscow-Pullman Daily News is a daily newspaper in the northwestern United States, serving the Moscow, Idaho, and Pullman, Washington, metropolitan area. The two cities on the Palouse are the homes of the two states' land grant universities, the University of Idaho and Washington State University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower Woodward Avenue Historic District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Lower Woodward Avenue Historic District, also known as Merchant's Row, is a mixed-use retail, commercial, and residential district in downtown Detroit, Michigan, located between Campus Martius Park and Grand Circus Park Historic District at 1201 through 1449 Woodward Avenue and 1400 through 1456 Woodward Avenue. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jefferson–Chalmers Historic Business District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Jefferson–Chalmers Historic Business District is a neighborhood located on East Jefferson Avenue between Eastlawn Street and Alter Road in Detroit, Michigan. The district is the only continuously intact commercial district remaining along East Jefferson Avenue, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orleans County Courthouse Historic District</span> Historic district in New York, United States

The Orleans County Courthouse Historic District is one of two located in downtown Albion, New York, United States. Centered on Courthouse Square, it includes many significant buildings in the village, such as its post office and churches from seven different denominations, one of which is the tallest structure in the county. Many buildings are the work of local architect William V.N. Barlow, with contributions from Solon Spencer Beman and Andrew Jackson Warner. They run the range of architectural styles from the era in which the district developed, from Federal to Colonial Revival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Presbyterian Church (Pullman, Washington)</span> Historic church in Washington, United States

The United Presbyterian Church in Pullman, Washington, also known as the Greystone Church, is a historic Presbyterian church which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. In 2014 it is an apartment building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dumas Seed Company warehouse</span>

The Dumas Seed Company warehouse, located in Pullman, Washington at 110 Whitman Street, is a steel pre-engineered structure that served for several decades as an agriculture storage facility for dry peas harvested from farms around the Palouse region. The warehouse served as a storage depot for a series of agricultural growers, before its conversion into an RV and boat storage facility in 2002 its current owners. Centrally located in Pullman's "Original Town Neighborhood," the structure is also central to the city's historical roots in agriculture and farming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Brick Roads</span> Neighborhood of Pullman, Washington, U.S.

The Red Brick Roads, in Pullman, Washington, are a block of NE Maple St. and a block of NE Palouse St. and together are the last remaining brick streets in the city. In 2014, the roads were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The roads, paved in 1913, are important landmarks because they made transportation easier along the only of the city's Star routes, providing an essential connection between the Northern Pacific Railroad depot and the growing campus of Washington State College. The steepest part of the route to campus received brick paving to provide traction for horses and automobiles—particularly during the difficult winter months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Dick Block</span> United States historic place

The Christian Dick Block is a historic commercial building located at 106 East Doty Street in Madison, Wisconsin. The building was constructed in 1889 for liquor wholesaler Christian Dick. The prominent Madison architectural firm of Conover & Porter designed the Richardsonian Romanesque style building; it is one of the city's earliest extant examples of both the firm's work and the style. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I.O.O.F. Centennial Building</span> United States historic place

The I.O.O.F. Centennial Building is an historic building located at 150 East Chisholm Street in Alpena, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. It dates back to 1876 and is “an excellent example of late Victorian commercial architecture.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prow house</span> Type of house where the front is angled outward

Prow house is an American term for a house with a projecting front portion that resembles the prow of a ship. The T-shaped layout contrasts more traditional designs where the front of the structure is more parallel with the street. The style and name originated in Arkansas in the nineteenth century, and contemporary versions are used particularly to accentuate views from within the house in scenic areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Swain House</span> United States historic place

The William Swain House, at W. W. Main St. in Pullman, Washington, is an American Craftsman style bungalow house built in 1914. It was a home of architect William Swain who was elected mayor of Pullman in the year the house was completed. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

References

  1. ↑ Edwin Garretson. “Re: History of the Pullman Flatiron Building.” Message to Allison Dunn. Whitman County Historical Society. February 29, 2012. Email.
  2. 1 2 John Benedict; L. Garfield (July 15, 1989). National Register of Historic Places Registration: United Presbyterian Church / Greystone Church . Retrieved February 7, 2023. Includes four photos from 1989
  3. ↑ cite this to clio or better source
  4. ↑ Esther Pond Smith, Whitman County Historical Society archives. Notations. March 8, 2012
  5. 1 2 3 An Illustrated History of Whitman County. W.H. Lever. 1901. p. 364.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Liza R. Rognas; Brian Hahn; Everett Roscoe; Andrea Sabo (November 30, 1993). National Register of Historic Places Registration: William Swain House. NARA . Retrieved February 9, 2023. Includes seven photos from 1993.
  7. 1 2 Tyler Kinsella; Nyssa Runyon; Janessa Johnson; Josh Neumann; Ashley Kopetzky; Paige Perrault; Adam Lewis; Savannah Lundahl; Rachel Hall; Cody Jones (2014). Pullman: A Walking Tour (PDF). Pullman Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved February 9, 2023. Produced as a class project of a course at Washington State University's School of Design and Construction, taught by Phil Gruen and Robert Franklin.
  8. 1 2 Ted McDonough (June 2, 1994). "Restoration work begins on Pullman's landmark Flatiron site". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. p. 1.
  9. ↑ c1910. Photographs. Pullman Library: Palouse Heritage Collection. February 28, 2012.
  10. ↑ P.M. Hall. “Buildings represent variety of styles, eras.” Daily News April 14, 1988. Print.
  11. ↑ Selene Santucci. Personal phone interview. February 28, 2012.
  12. ↑ The Daily Evergreen February 11, 1994.
  13. ↑ The Spokesman Review February 11, 1994.
  14. 1 2 Eric Sorenson (February 12, 1994). "Battered landmark can be fixed". The Spokesman Review. p. 9.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.