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104-643: The Interurban Building , formerly known as the Seattle National Bank Building (1890–1899), the Pacific Block (1899–1930) and the Smith Tower Annex (1930–1977), is a historic office building located at Yesler Way and Occidental Way S in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle , Washington, United States. Built from 1890 to 1891 for the then recently formed Seattle National Bank, it

208-478: A 3,000,000-square-foot (280,000 m ) building in Chicago, at the time the largest building in the world. The time and motion study , pioneered in manufacturing by F. W. Taylor and later applied to the office environment by Frank and Lillian Gilbreth , led to the idea that managers needed to play an active role in directing the work of subordinates to increase the efficiency of the workplace. F.W. Taylor advocated

312-459: A direct line. His proposed building, tentatively titled the New Pacific Block would contain a parking garage on the first 3 floors that would serve the offices above as well as the nearby Smith Tower. No further mention was ever made of this tower (or a First Avenue extension) and the plans were quietly scaled back to a refurbishment of the existing Pacific Block. Shortly after the closure of

416-719: A loop that would pass in front of the Pacific Block before returning to First. At its peak the station had 27 daily departures for both Tacoma and the branch line to Renton. Upon Smith's passing in 1910, his properties were willed to his widow Flora B. Smith, and upon her death in 1920 to their son Burns Lyman Smith (1880–1941) who would subsequently form the United Business Corporation as a holding company for all his Washington properties. Still residing in Syracuse, New York , he would later make Seattle his permanent home. In

520-515: A lot of concentration, or include many small meetings. Shared office : a compact, semi-private workspace designed for two or three individuals, facilitating both focused work and small group collaboration. Team room : an enclosed workspace for four to ten people; suitable for teamwork that may be confidential and demands frequent internal communication. Study booth : an enclosed workspace for one person; suitable for short-term activities that demand concentration or confidentiality. Work lounge :

624-1734: A lounge-like workspace for two to six people; suitable for short-term activities that demand collaboration and/or allow impromptu interaction. Touch down : an open workspace for one person; suitable for short-term activities that require little concentration and low interaction. Meeting spaces in an office typically use interactive processes, be they quick conversations or intensive brainstorming. There are six generic types of meeting spaces, each supporting different activities. Small meeting room : an enclosed meeting space for two to four people; suitable for both formal and informal interaction. Medium meeting room : an enclosed meeting space for four to ten people; suitable for both formal and informal interaction. Large meeting room : an enclosed meeting space for ten or more people; suitable for formal interaction. Small meeting space : an open or semi-open meeting space for two to four persons; suitable for short, informal interaction. Medium meeting space : an open or semi-open meeting space for four to ten persons; suitable for short, informal interaction. Large meeting space : an open or semi-open meeting space for ten or more people people; suitable for short, informal interaction. Brainstorm room : an enclosed meeting space for five to twelve people; suitable for brainstorming sessions and workshops. Meeting point : an open meeting point for two to four people; suitable for ad hoc, informal meetings. Support spaces in an office are typically used for secondary activities such as filing documents or taking breaks. There are twelve generic types of support spaces, each supporting different activities. Filing space : an open or enclosed support space for

728-595: A multi-year $ 1.7 million project to upgrade the building's interior for modern office and retail tenants. During this time a faux vintage mural advertising Washington State Ferries was painted over a ghost sign for Sperry Flour on the building's south wall by Wallmarx as part of the "Seattle Walls" mural program, funded by the Downtown Seattle Development Association and the Seattle Arts Commission. Upon completion of renovations in 1977

832-459: A need for laws to keep order, a process that would require a formal government. In the late summer of 1889, the community discussed incorporating as a town but eventually rejected the idea of incorporation. The issue pressed, however, and several months later, on November 4, 1889, the residents again voted on the question and this time they voted to incorporate. The first mayor of Ballard was Charles F. Treat. A municipal census, conducted shortly after

936-524: A palace complex or a large temple. There was often a room where scrolls were kept and scribes did their work. Ancient texts mentioning the work of scribes allude to the existence of such "offices". These rooms are sometimes called "libraries" by some archaeologists because of scrolls' association with literature. They were, however, closer to modern offices because the scrolls were meant for record-keeping and other management functions, not for poetry or works of fiction. The High Middle Ages (1000–1300) saw

1040-567: A real-estate boom. By early 2007, nearly 20 major apartment/retail projects were under construction or had just been completed within a five-block radius of downtown Ballard. The new developments would add as many as 2500 new households to the neighborhood. This growth in urban density is the result of the neighborhood plan created by former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice . Mayor Rice's plan aimed to reduce suburban sprawl by targeting certain Seattle areas, including Ballard, for high-density development. Over

1144-486: A result of Griffith's involvement with them, the building company in turn joined numerous other firms in a lawsuit against the mortgage company in February 1892. Later that year Griffith resigned as bank president and in 1894 sued the ailing Seattle National Bank Building Company which after spending much of the previous year in court with various lawsuits was ordered into receivership with D.A. Spencer as receiver. The building

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1248-400: A result of the country's unique business culture. Japanese offices tend to follow open plan layouts in an 'island-style' arrangement, which promotes teamwork and top-down management. They also use uchi-awase (informal meetings) and ringi-sho (consensus systems) to encourage input on policies from as many groups throughout the office as possible. The main purpose of an office environment

1352-399: A result payments from bonds issued to the building company became scarce and unpaid contractors and suppliers and even the architect soon came forward with liens against the building. The building company subsequently mortgaged the building to Griffith's former company in exchange for Promissory notes to quell their suppliers but these too went partially unpaid. Suspecting a personal grudge as

1456-618: A semi-enclosed workspace for two to eight people; suitable for teamwork which demands frequent internal communication and a medium level of concentration. Cubicle : a semi-enclosed workspace for one person; suitable for activities that demand medium concentration and medium interaction. Office Pod : ideal for fostering privacy in today's bustling open-plan offices. It provides a cost-effective and efficient way to ensure privacy and continuity during conversations, calls, and video conferences. Private office : an enclosed workspace for one person; suitable for activities that are confidential, demand

1560-625: A semi-open or enclosed support space where employees can take a break from their work. Locker area : an open or semi-open support space where employees can store their personal belongings. Smoking room : an enclosed support space where employees can smoke a cigarette. Library : a semi-open or enclosed support space for reading books, journals and magazines. Games room : an enclosed support space where employees can play games, such as pool or darts. Waiting area : an open or semi-open support space where visitors can be received and wait for their appointment. Circulation space : support space which

1664-474: A simple solution and provide all of the former types of space. Workspaces in an office are typically used for conventional office activities such as reading, writing, and computer work. There are nine generic types of workspaces, each supporting different activities. Open office : an open workspace for more than ten people; suitable for activities that demand frequent communication or routine activities that need relatively little concentration. Team space :

1768-502: A steamship company and later for the local agents of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad and New York Central Railroad . The Fraternal Order of Eagles , established in Seattle in 1898, opened their first permanent lodge (Aerie No. 1) in the top floor of Pacific Block in 1899 and would host a variety of other fraternal clubs in their hall including the Foresters of America ,

1872-872: A well-appointed triplex. Downtown Ballard also boasts a variety of restaurants and local shops. The Deep Sea Fishermen's Union, which represents commercial fishermen, is based in Ballard. The Ballard Historical Society is a volunteer-run non-profit historical society located in the Ballard neighborhood. The organization does not have any traditional exhibition space, but maintains a community presence through its self-guided historical tours, historical markers, lectures, community events, and collections. The Ballard Historical Society's collections include memorabilia , historical archives, photographs, and other objects relating to Ballard History. The society has made its photo archives available online. The organization has 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Formed in 1988 with encouragement from

1976-536: Is one of the finest examples of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture in the Pacific Northwest and has been cited by local architects as one of the most beautiful buildings in downtown Seattle. It was the breakthrough project of young architect John Parkinson , who would go on to design many notable buildings in the Los Angeles area in the late 19th and early 20th century. The Seattle National Bank would vacate

2080-560: Is required for circulation on office floors, linking all major functions. Lactation rooms are also support spaces that are legally mandatory for companies in the United States, as of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Ballard, Seattle Ballard is a neighborhood in northwestern Seattle , Washington , United States. Formerly an independent city, the City of Seattle 's official boundaries define it as bounded to

2184-513: Is to support its occupants in performing their jobs—preferably at minimum cost and with maximum satisfaction. Different people performing different tasks will require different office spaces, or spaces that can handle a variety of uses. To aid decision-making in workplace and office design, one can distinguish three different types of office spaces: workspaces, meeting spaces, and support spaces. For new or developing businesses, remote satellite offices and project rooms, or serviced offices , can provide

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2288-656: The BNSF Railway mainline at N.W. 67th, are operated as the Ballard Terminal Railroad . During the late 19th century Captain William Rankin Ballard , owner of land adjoining Judge Burke's holdings, joined the partnership with Burke, Leary, and Gilman. Then, in 1887 the partnership was dissolved and the assets divided, but no one wanted the land in Salmon Bay so the partners flipped a coin. Capt. Ballard lost

2392-639: The Ballard Locks , the National Nordic Museum , the Shilshole Bay Marina, and Golden Gardens Park . The neighborhood's main thoroughfares running north–south are Seaview, 32nd, 24th, Leary, 15th, and 8th Avenues N.W. East–west traffic is carried by N.W. Leary Way and N.W. 85th, 80th, 65th, and Market Streets. The Ballard Bridge carries 15th Avenue over Salmon Bay to the Interbay neighborhood, and

2496-512: The Great Seattle Fire in 1889 the mills provided opportunities for those who had lost jobs in the fire, which in turn spurred the growth of the settlement as families moved north to work in the mills. Ballard experienced an influx of Scandinavian immigrants during this period, and Scandinavian culture and traditions would be influential on Ballard as it developed. With the rapid population growth, residents realized that there might soon be

2600-785: The Improved Order of Red Men and the Tribe of Ben-Hur . In 1900 James Clise moved the offices of his investment company into the building's 5th floor where he managed all of L.C. Smith's other properties in the city. Other tenants during this time included William Nottingham's Globe Navigation Company, various importers and exporters, mining brokers relating to the Klondike Gold Rush , and a high concentration of architects including Thomas G. Bird, Cutter & Malmgren, Henderson Ryan, P.J. Donohue, James Donnellan and Francis Barton. The Globe Navigation Company and James Clise would move their offices into

2704-583: The Nordic Heritage Museum and Swedish-Finn Historical Society , Voices of Ballard: Immigrant Stories from the Vanishing Generation (2001), a book collecting oral histories from long-time Ballard residents who have made the neighborhood home since before the 1960s. The Ballard Walking Tour, a self-guided tour created by the organization, highlights 20 different historic sites on and around Ballard Avenue. The most recent illustrated Tour Brochure

2808-504: The Renaissance did not impact the setup and function of these government offices significantly. Medieval paintings and tapestries often show people in their private offices handling record-keeping books or writing on scrolls of parchment . Before the invention of the printing press and its wider distribution, there was often no clear cultural distinction between a private office and a private library ; books were both read and written at

2912-773: The Salmon Bay Bridge carries the BNSF Railway tracks across the bay, west of the Ballard Locks. Ballard is located entirely within Seattle City Council District 6, which also includes the neighborhoods of Crown Hill, Green Lake and Phinney Ridge, as well as most of Fremont, North Beach/ Blue Ridge , and Wallingford . Ballard is part of the Seattle Public Schools and the Washington State Legislature 's 36th legislative district . At

3016-467: The "Modern Efficiency Desk" of 1915. Its flat top, with drawers below, was designed to allow managers an easy view of their workers. By the middle of the 20th century, it became apparent that an efficient office required additional control over privacy , and gradually the cubicle system evolved. The word "office" stems from the Latin " officium " and its equivalents in various Romance languages . An officium

3120-549: The 1,000-seat Interbay Soccer Stadium. The public schools in the neighborhood are part of the citywide Seattle Public Schools district . Ballard High School , located in the neighborhood, is the oldest continuously-operating high school in the city. The original building was demolished in the late 1990s. The new school building is now one of the largest in the district and houses a biotechnology magnet program that attracts students from all over Seattle. The high school has been supported by Amgen , Zymogenetics, G. M. Nameplate,

3224-711: The 18th century to suit the needs of large and growing organizations such as the Royal Navy and the East India Company . The Old Admiralty ( Ripley Building ) was built in 1726 and was the first purpose-built office building in Great Britain. As well as offices, the building housed a board room and apartments for the Lords of the Admiralty. In the 1770s, many scattered offices for the Royal Navy were gathered into Somerset House ,

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3328-670: The B.L. Smith Building, construction would have begun as soon as the Smith Tower was completed but little else was mentioned of this project after the initial announcement. In the mid 1920s, the 2nd Avenue Extension project had stirred a brief revival in Pioneer Square real estate and despite the loss of foot traffic that the interurban had generated for the area, the Pacific Block remained a popular office address as other nearby office buildings were converted to hotels or fell vacant. In August 1926 B.L. Smith announced plans to once again replace

3432-752: The Ballard Centennial Committee in celebration of the Washington state centennial in 1989, the organization's establishment coincided with the publication of Passport to Ballard , a collection of essays on the neighborhood's history from pre-European settlement up through the 1980s. In April 2007, the Ballard Historical Society unveiled its Historic Markers, which can be seen on buildings in the Ballard Avenue Historic District . The organization also co-produced, along with

3536-591: The Ballard SeafoodFest and Norwegian Constitution Day (also called Syttende Mai) on May 17 to commemorate the signing of the Norwegian Constitution. Locals once nicknamed the neighborhood "Snoose Junction," a reference to the Scandinavian settlers' practice of using snus . The Majestic Bay Theatre on Market Street is on the same location as the former Bay and Majestic theaters. Before closing for

3640-617: The Burke Building at Second Avenue and Marion Street upon its completion. The bank soon decided to have their own building built instead, with several shareholders headed by Ballard and Luther H. Griffith (no-relation to the bank president) forming the Seattle National Bank Building Company in April 1890 in order to keep the bank's finances separate from the building. It also allowed them to issue bonds to Griffith's own firm,

3744-463: The Pacific Block, this time with a $ 2 million 18-story skyscraper. Smith said about the revival of the neighborhood at the time: Extension of Second Avenue South to Seattle Boulevard, which is now being ordered by the City Council, will greatly benefit the present financial and retail district of the city, and I believe the time is near when First Avenue will be similarly connected through the south in

3848-530: The Puget Sound Electric Railway a $ 100,000 interior modernization of the Pacific Block was begun by B.L. Smith in October 1929 under the direction of architect Frank H. Fowler. A $ 400,000 mortgage was placed on the Smith Tower to fund the project. The project included new interior finishes, wiring and elevators and the lowering of the ground floor to be level with the sidewalk. The most visible result of

3952-614: The Shilshole native group, named HWelch’teed or "Salmon Bay Charlie", was forcibly removed to allow construction of the Hiram Chittenden Locks in 1915 or 1916. The first European resident in the area, homesteader Ira Wilcox Utter, moved to his claim in 1853. Utter hoped to see a rapid expansion of population, but when this did not happen, he sold the land to Thomas Burke , a judge. Thirty-six years later, Judge Burke, together with John Leary and railroader Daniel H. Gilman, formed

4056-580: The University District. According to oral traditions from before European contact, the group living around Shilshole may have been in decline due to a "great catastrophe". The remaining dozen or fewer families were evicted by non-Coast Salish settlers in the mid-19th century. One source suggests that the decline of the Shilshole dwelling Salish might have been due to raids from other groups from farther north (Queen Charlotte's Island) and that these raids also alarmed non-Native settlers. The last member of

4160-602: The West Coast Improvement Company to develop Burke's land holdings in the area. They anticipated the building of the Great Northern Railway along the Salmon Bay coastline on the way to Interbay and central Seattle. The partners also built a spur from Fremont's main line of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway . Today three miles (5 km) of this line, running along Salmon Bay from N.W. 40th Street to

4264-497: The Western Farm Mortgage Trust Company, that they would pay back with interest for the building's construction without causing a conflict of interest. During this time they purchased the lot for their new building from Fred E. Sander, who still held an option on the now vacant property and had put it up for sale that February advertising it as the finest business lot in the city. The same month the building company

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4368-661: The Youth Maritime Training Association, North Seattle Community College , Seattle City Light , and Swedish Hospital. There are several elementary schools and one alternative school located in the neighborhood. The closest middle school is Whitman Middle School , which is located north of Ballard in the Crown Hill neighborhood. The Ballard Public Library was first created as the Carnegie Free Public Library in 1904. In 1907, after annexation,

4472-426: The annex into a garage for city vehicles that would be connected to the Smith Tower by an underground tunnel, but they ultimately passed on buying the buildings. The building would eventually be purchased by realtor and developer Irving Baderman, who hired Henry Broderick, Inc. to manage it. From the end of World War II and into the early 1950s the building's upper floors were rented out by the U.S. Army, first to house

4576-476: The annexation question. By then, the residents realized the inability of local resources to cope with their situation and the majority of residents voted in favor of annexation. On May 29, 1907 at 3:45 a.m, the City of Ballard officially became part of Seattle. On that day, Ballard citizens showed their mixed feelings about the handover by draping their city hall with black crepe and flying the flag at half mast. During

4680-511: The bank opened there that month, followed by the neighboring Seattle Savings Bank (later the Nickle then Washington Savings Bank) that June, which was connected to the National bank through common shareholders. The unfinished building was already being praised as one of the most magnificent bank buildings on the coast and would make appearances in many Architectural trade journals. A detailed description of

4784-538: The banking room was published in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer shortly before the bank's opening: The fixtures, which were made in Battle Creek, Mich. , are of Cuban mahogany , and are as handsome as can be found anywhere. The floors are inlaid with tiling, and as you go into the door it is like going into a parlor. The different tellers are located on each side of the room, the patrons, or depositors, in

4888-469: The beginning, and in 1904, the drinking and gambling had become so bad that the mayor ordered the City of Ballard officially closed for the day to prevent gambling. The city also faced problems with loose livestock and so the Cow Ordinance of 1903 made allowing cows to graze south of present-day 65th St. a punishable offense. The city faced more serious problems, however, with two of the most difficult being

4992-482: The building after only five years, followed by numerous legal battles between its owners, creditors and builders that ultimately led to the foreclosure of the building. It came under the ownership of New York industrialist Lyman Cornelius Smith who would rename it the Pacific Block in 1899. From 1904 to 1928, the Puget Sound Electric Railway 's Seattle–Tacoma interurban line terminated in front of

5096-423: The building and the former bank lobby was used as a ticket office and waiting room. The building was threatened with demolition several times in the 1910s and 1920s but plans to replace the building with a skyscraper always fell, though. The building underwent a major interior modernization beginning in 1929 under L.C. Smith's heirs, which included demolition of the entire Southeast wing of the building. The building

5200-595: The building in 1893. One of Seattle's early telephone companies, the Seattle Automatic Telephone Company, would have their offices in the building until 1901. The Seattle National Bank quickly became one of the wealthiest banks in the region, and within a year of opening had formed a network of banks in the Puget Sound region reaching as far as Port Townsend , Fairhaven and Pendleton, Oregon , each one managed with involvement from various employees of

5304-554: The building in the hands of attorney James Clise, who was tasked with shopping it around to his numerous wealthy clients in New York. In December 1898 the Seattle National Bank Building was bought for $ 152,000 by Syracuse, New York banker and industrialist Lyman Cornelius Smith who, through his agent/attorney James Clise had amassed a large portfolio of Seattle buildings and land that he and his heirs would improve over

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5408-550: The building to developer Fred E. Sander who not only co-founded the railroad but had been responsible for purchasing most of the right of way. Originally located at the Southwest corner of First Avenue and Jackson Streets, the railway began looking for a new depot location when the Schwabacher Brothers decided to redevelop the lot. The railroad tracks, which originally ran up First Avenue to Yesler Way, were soon reconfigured into

5512-523: The building was renamed the Interurban Building and once again became a prestigious office address for lawyers and agents. Office building In classical antiquity , offices were often part of a palace complex or a large temple. In the High Middle Ages (1000–1300), the medieval chancery acted as a sort of office, serving as the space where records and laws were stored and copied. With

5616-476: The building was renamed the Smith Tower Annex. At the same time what had been known previously as the L.C. Smith Building was officially renamed the Smith Tower. Following B.L. Smith's passing in 1941, the Smith Tower Annex remained in his estate until January 1945 when both it and the Smith Tower were offered to the city of Seattle for $ 75,000 and $ 900,000 respectively. The city floated the idea of converting

5720-662: The building's 150 office rooms, which were already fully rented out by this time. The building was officially completed by September 1891 and tenants began to advertise the following month. Besides the banks, the ground floor was shared with a hardware store and a pawnbroker facing Occidental Way; the Monogram Saloon operated in the basement directly below the bank. The building's earliest upstairs tenants included dentists, brokers, realtors, art teachers and architect Parkinson's own office where he would remain until his removal to Los Angeles in 1894. Seattle's public night school opened on

5824-647: The building's second floor in 1892 with pupils in age ranging from 13 to 22, and was soon joined by the Queen City Business College and later the Acme Business College. The building became an early hub of charitable organizations, with the Union Gospel Mission opening in the basement and the Bureau of Associated Charities headquartered there in 1892. The Seattle Chamber of Commerce would locate in

5928-474: The center. There are ten different departments, all facing each other, with beautiful openings for the tellers, like so many bay windows. The base of the counter is Tennessee marble and marble plates are at each opening or window for handing coin over. The wickets are of oxidized silver, and the top of the counter is enclosed with beveled French plate glass , the lower half chipped and the woodwork beautifully carved... The ceiling and walls are of bronze finish and

6032-491: The central office each day. As the Industrial Revolution intensified in the 18th and 19th centuries, the industries of banking , rail , insurance , retail , petroleum , and telegraphy dramatically grew in size and complexity. Increasingly large number of clerks were needed to handle order processing, accounting, and document filing, and these clerks needed to be housed in increasingly specialized spaces. Most of

6136-405: The coin-toss and ended up with the "undesirable" 160-acre (0.65 km ) tract. The railroad to Seattle ended at Salmon Bay because the railroad company was unwilling to build a trestle to cross the bay. From the stop at "Ballard Junction," (as the terminus was called) passengers could walk across the wagon bridge and continue the journey to Seattle. In addition to gaining notoriety as the end of

6240-418: The desks of the era were top-heavy and had a cubicle-like appearance, with paper storage bins extending above the desk-work area, offering workers some degree of privacy. The relatively high price of land in the central core of cities led to the first multi-story buildings, which were limited to about 10 stories until the use of iron and steel allowed for higher structures. The first purpose-built office block

6344-520: The dominant economic theory of the Renaissance , merchants tended to conduct their business in buildings that also sometimes housed people doing retail sales, warehousing, and clerical work. During the 15th century, the population density in many cities reached a point where merchants began to use stand-alone buildings to conduct their business. A distinction began to develop between religious, administrative/military, and commercial uses for buildings. The first purpose-built office spaces were constructed in

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6448-406: The doors, blinds, sashes and interior moldings. Matthew Dow was awarded the general construction contract, the first of many buildings he would help build in Seattle, and by September, the walls were up to the second story. Though completion of the building was still several months out in February 1891, the banking room, said to be the largest yet opened in Seattle, was made separately waterproof and

6552-486: The early 1910s, the 6th floor of the Pacific Block became the construction headquarters for the nearby Smith Tower , containing the offices of supervising architect H.W. Thompson and contractor the Whitney-Steen Company. Construction of the Smith Tower had barely reached ground level when B.L. Smith announced plans to demolish the Pacific Block and replace it with a building equal in height to the Smith Tower. Dubbed

6656-470: The early 20th century, the Ballard area was home to the Ballard shipbuilding company, which produced ships for the US Navy during World War II as well as ships for civilian purposes. The area was also home to a significant number of fisheries and canneries. These marine industries formed the backbone of the Ballard economy for much of the 20th century. At the end of the 20th century Ballard began to experience

6760-580: The federal level, Ballard is part of the United States House of Representatives 's 7th congressional district . The area now called Ballard was settled by the Dxʷdəwʔabš (Duwamish) Tribe after the last glacial period. There were plentiful salmon and clams in the region. The Shilshole area was home to a settlement that has since been excavated; its artifacts are in the collection of the Burke Museum in

6864-534: The first block purpose-built for office work. The East India House was built in 1729 on Leadenhall Street as the headquarters from which the East India Company administered its Indian colonial possessions . The Company developed a very complex bureaucracy for the task, necessitating thousands of office employees to process the required paperwork. The Company recognized the benefits of centralized administration and required that all workers sign in and out at

6968-620: The former building company as well as the Seattle National Bank itself came forward compelling Preston to sell below his asking price, eventually settling out of court. The building was officially rechristened as the Pacific Block in July 1899, as the previously eponymous bank hadn't been located there for several years. The banking room was initially converted into the offices of the North American Transportation & Trading Co.,

7072-491: The growth of large, complex organizations in the 18th century, the first purpose-built office spaces were constructed. As the Industrial Revolution intensified in the 18th and 19th centuries, the industries of banking , rail , insurance , retail , petroleum , and telegraphy grew dramatically, requiring many clerks. As a result, more office space was assigned to house their activities. The time-and-motion study , pioneered in manufacturing by F. W. Taylor (1856–1915), led to

7176-435: The home bank and Griffith's mortgage company. In some communities banks involved with the Seattle National would be the only to survive the Panic of 1893 , proving their financial security. Things would not go so well for the bank's president and building owners though; in late 1890 Griffith resigned as president from his mortgage company, after butting heads with shareholders who were not agreeable to his Seattle projects and as

7280-441: The lack of both a proper water supply and a sewer system. The one weakness of the location on Salmon Bay was the lack of nearby freshwater springs, which meant that water came from local ground water wells. Lack of a proper sewage system contaminated the ground water, compounding the problem. The town continued to grow and reached 17,000 residents by 1907 to become the second-largest city in King County. However Ballard, like many of

7384-429: The library became part of the Seattle Public Library system. The original Carnegie building on Market Street was replaced with new construction on 24th Avenue NW in 1963. 42 years later, in 2005, a new library building on 22nd Avenue NW designed by architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson , was opened as part of the Seattle Public Library's "Libraries for All" initiative. The original Carnegie building on Market Street

7488-637: The midpoint of the 20th century, it became apparent that an efficient office required more privacy in order to combat tedium, increase productivity, and encourage creativity. In 1964, the Herman Miller (office equipment) company contracted Robert Propst , a prolific industrial designer. Propst came up with the concept of the Action Office , which later evolved into the cubicle office furniture system. Offices in Japan have developed unique characteristics partly as

7592-592: The new construction the Bay Theatre was the longest continuously operating movie theatre on the west coast after the closure of the Cameo in Los Angeles. The neighborhood is home to a namesake soccer team, Ballard FC , which was founded in 2022 and plays in the fourth-division USL League 2 . The semi-professional team is owned by a group led by former Seattle Sounders FC player Lamar Neagle and plays in nearby Interbay at

7696-581: The newly completed Globe Building at First and Madison Streets by the end of 1901 followed by the Seattle Savings Bank. Clise's vacancy would be filled in 1902 by W.E. Granger who chose Seattle as the headquarters for his newly established Trans-Alaskan Railroad Company that was engaged in the race to build a railway connecting Iliamna Bay to the Bering Strait . He would use Seattle as a base for shipping construction materials to Alaska. The building

7800-530: The next decade culminating with the construction of the Smith Tower . Smith insisted on owning both building and the land whose title was owned at the time by Harold A. Preston in trust of the late H.A.P. Carter, one of the original trustees of the building company that purchased the land for its construction. In a suit that made it as far as the superior court, beneficiaries of Carter's trust including several large hardware and paint firms that had placed liens against

7904-545: The north by Crown Hill (N.W. 85th Street), to the east by Greenwood , Phinney Ridge and Fremont (along 3rd Avenue N.W.), to the south by the Lake Washington Ship Canal , and to the west by Puget Sound 's Shilshole Bay . Other neighborhood or district boundaries existed in the past; these are recognized by various Seattle City Departments, commercial or social organizations, and other Federal, State, and local government agencies. Landmarks of Ballard include

8008-415: The other small cities surrounding Seattle continued to be plagued by water problems. The rapid population growth had overwhelmed the city's ability to provide services, particularly safe drinking water and sewers, and Ballard's city government had tried unsuccessfully to deal with the crises. That made the citizens begin to consider asking Seattle to annex the town. In 1905, the question was voted on and

8112-399: The passing vote showed that the new town of Ballard had more than 1500 residents, allowing it to be the first "third-class town" to be incorporated in the newly-admitted State of Washington. By 1900, Ballard's population had grown to 4,568, making it the seventh-largest city in Washington, and the town was faced with many of the problems common to small towns. Saloons had been a problem since

8216-516: The proportion of Scandinavian residents has decreased but the neighborhood is still proud of its heritage. Ballard is home to the National Nordic Museum , which celebrates both the community of Ballard and the local Scandinavian history. Scandinavians unite in organizations such as the Sons of Norway Leif Ericson Lodge and the Norwegian Ladies Chorus of Seattle. Each year the community celebrates

8320-415: The railway line, the fledgling town of Ballard benefited economically from the railway because the railroad provided a way to bring supplies into the area and also to export locally manufactured products. Ability to ship products spurred the growth of mills of many types. Ballard's first mill, built in 1888 by Mr. J Sinclair was a lumber mill ; the second mill, finished the same year was a shingle mill. After

8424-472: The remainder of the woodwork of Spanish cedar . The building reached its 6th floor by March 1891 and most of the stone carving was complete including Bas-Relief gargoyles and a large lion's head keystone over the bank's corner entrance. Over 2,100,000 bricks had gone into the building's construction and the final brick was officially laid on April 9, 1891, though there was still at least 3 months of interior work left to be done before tenants could begin to fill

8528-417: The renovation was the demolition of the building's entire southeastern corner down to the third floor, which was done in order to bring more light to the inner offices and to make room for the construction of a heating plant in its place. Echoing the original plans of the tower that could have replaced the building, the basement was converted into a parking garage which it is still used as today. Upon completion

8632-459: The residents voted against annexation since they hoped for a solution, but the problems refused to go away. In July 1906, the Supreme Court of Washington ruled that Seattle was not allowed to provide water service to surrounding communities. Ballard had been dependent on a water sharing agreement with Seattle, but the Supreme Court decision left it with inadequate water and forced a second vote on

8736-399: The rise of the medieval chancery , which was the place where most government letters were written and laws were copied within a kingdom. The rooms of the chancery often had walls full of pigeonholes, constructed to hold rolled-up pieces of parchment for safekeeping or ready reference. This kind of structure was a precursor to the modern bookshelf. The introduction of the printing press during

8840-412: The sale the Great Seattle Fire would clear the property and after a brief occupation by tents housing the burned-out businesses, the subsequent regrading in early 1890 would raise the streets 18 feet above the old ground level. The Seattle National Bank was incorporated in February 1889 with George W. E. Griffith as president, William Rankin Ballard as vice-president and Fred Warde as cashier. Griffith

8944-541: The same desk or table , as were personal and professional accounts and letters. During the 13th century, the English word "office" first began to appear when referring to a position involving specific professional duties (for example, "the office of the....") Geoffrey Chaucer appears to have first used the word in 1395 to mean a place where business is transacted in The Canterbury Tales . As mercantilism became

9048-544: The state offices of the Civil Aeronautics Authority and later the offices of the Seattle Port of Embarkation , their overseas supply division, air material office and the army and air force exchange services. In the early 1970s the building, which had become mostly vacant and infested with pigeons under the previous owner, was purchased by architect and contractor George Filler and his wife Evelyn who undertook

9152-523: The storage of frequently used files and documents. Storage space : an open or enclosed support space for the storage of commonly used office supplies. Print and copy area : an open or enclosed support space with facilities for printing, scanning and copying. Mail area : an open or semi-open support space where employees can pick up or deliver their mail. Pantry area : an open or enclosed support space where employees can get refreshments and where supplies for visitor hospitality are kept. Break area :

9256-430: The street-facing façade was to be clad in high quality pressed brick from California and trimmed with red terracotta that would match the hue of the stone, giving the building a mostly monochromatic appearance. While most of the common brick and structural lumber used in the building was from Seattle, many of its interior finishes and hardware were sourced from across the country; Smith & Wyman of Minneapolis supplied

9360-580: The use of large, open floor plans and desks that faced supervisors. As a result, in 1915, the Equitable Life Insurance Company in New York City introduced the "Modern Efficiency Desk" with a flat top and drawers below, designed to allow managers an easy view of the workers. This led to a demand for large square footage per floor in buildings, and a return to the open spaces that were seen in pre–industrial revolution buildings. However, by

9464-659: The years, Ballard has added venues for live music, including bars, restaurants and coffee shops. Each month the Ballard Chamber of Commerce sponsors the Second Saturday Artwalk. Downtown Ballard is also home to the Majestic Bay Theater, which was the oldest operating movie theater on the West Coast prior to its closure in 1997. In 1998, it was renovated and transformed from a bargain single-screen theater to

9568-469: Was $ 85,000 in a deal that would have the buyers paying $ 75,000 up front and the remainder on January 1, 1890, with the shrewd Yesler insisting on holding onto the property in the interim to continue collecting valuable rent on the tenants and delaying the buyer's intentions of building a large brick building on the site. Yesler would use the proceeds from this sale to fund the further construction of his Pioneer Block which had just broken ground. 4 months after

9672-569: Was a prominent banker and mortgage broker in Lawrence, Kansas and would remain there, with Ballard, then the manager of the West Coast Improvement Company and the namesake of the recently established city of Ballard , serving as acting manager. The bank opened one year later in temporary quarters on Yesler Way in the Sanderson Block (The current location of the Merchant's Cafe) with plans to locate in

9776-670: Was estimated to cost about $ 200,000, the equivalent of nearly $ 6 million today. Construction of the massive foundation, said to be one of the largest being built in the city at the time, began in June 1890 with the driving of piles, with large shipments of Chuckanut Sandstone arriving by barge from the Roth & Roeder quarry in Bellingham the following month. Early reports indicated that the building's lower floors were to be faced in Tenino bluestone but this

9880-453: Was formed they solicited for designs for a proposed 6-story building of brick, iron and stone, receiving plans from a dozen different architects. They ultimately chose the plans of then 28 year old John B. Parkinson , a relative newcomer to Seattle, who had recently dissolved his partnership with Cecil Evers with whom he had designed the Butler and Epler Blocks. The proposed bank and office building

9984-600: Was not necessarily a place, but often referred instead to human staff members of an organization, or even the abstract notion of a formal position like a magistrate. The elaborate Roman bureaucracy would not be equaled for centuries in the West after the fall of Rome , with areas partially reverting to illiteracy. Further east, the Byzantine Empire and varying Islamic caliphates preserved a more sophisticated administrative culture. Offices in classical antiquity were often part of

10088-532: Was once part of the 1852 donation land claim of Henry Yesler and as the city grew he would gradually sell off or lease lots to prospective settlers as he needed the funds. By the late 1880s the lots at what was then the Southeast corner of Mill Street and Second Avenue South, still owned by Yesler, were covered by a collection of wooden shacks and lodging houses, the earliest dating back to the late 1860s. Among these early hostelries and adjoining several Chinese laundrys

10192-594: Was released in February 2009. Every three years the Ballard Historical Society organizes the Ballard Classic Homes Tour and features a different set of vintage homes in Ballard during each parade of houses. Ballard is the traditional center of Seattle's ethnically Scandinavian seafaring community, who were drawn to the area because of the salmon fishing opportunities. The neighborhood's unofficial slogan, " Uff da ", comes from an Almost Live! sketch that made fun of its Scandinavian culture. In recent years

10296-557: Was renamed again to the Smith Tower Annex, which it would remain until its most recent restoration in the late 1970s after which it was renamed the Interurban Building as a nod to its role in local transportation. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 as a contributing property to the Pioneer Square Historic District . The site of the Interurban Building as well as most of Pioneer Square

10400-494: Was subsequently foreclosed upon and sold at auction for only $ 103,000; the bondholders wouldn't see a penny from the sale. With an almost complete turnover in management by 1895, the Seattle National Bank had left their building, relocating to the Haller Building at Second Avenue and Columbia Streets in what is still today Seattle's financial district. With ownership of the building in limbo new bank president E.W. Andrews placed

10504-526: Was the Brunswick Building, built in Liverpool in 1841. The invention of the safety elevator in 1852 by Elisha Otis enabled the rapid upward escalation of buildings. By the end of the 19th century, larger office buildings frequently contained large glass atriums to allow light into the complex and improve air circulation. By 1906, Sears , Roebuck, and Co. had opened their headquarters operation in

10608-622: Was the Wisconsin House, located over the Star Saloon where it is said that anti-Chinese sentiment that culminated in the Seattle riot of 1886 began. In February 1889 Yesler sold the 2 lots to a group of investors consisting of J.M. Thompson, Fred E. Sander and George M. Boman, all three of which were involved with real estate development as well as having stakes in the Lake Washington Cable Railway Company. The sale price

10712-576: Was ultimately only used for the pier bases on the ground floor. The rest of the first and second floors were to be trimmed with red Colorado sandstone from the Kenmuir quarry near Colorado Springs , the site of which is now part of the Red Rock Canyon Open Space . The use of the stone was a novelty in Seattle at the time as local grey stone was so abundant and it would guarantee that the new building would stand out amongst its peers. The remainder of

10816-510: Was visited by fire several times in the early 1900s, but its proximity to the fire department headquarters and the fact that numerous tenants were using their offices in the building as living quarters allowed for quick detection and minimal damage. In February 1904 the old banking room was taken over by the Puget Sound Electric Railway for use as a ticket office and waiting room for the Seattle–Tacoma interurban line, which once again linked

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