Fremont Building

The Fremont Building, also known as the Remsberg Building is a historic commercial building located at 3419 Fremont Avenue North in Seattle, Washington. The two-story building, built in the late 19th and 20th century Revival style, was completed in 1911 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 12, 1992.[1] The building currently houses a vintage store.[2]

Fremont Building
Building exterior in 2007
LocationSeattle, Washington, U.S.
Coordinates47°39′0.96″N 122°21′0.23″W
Built1911
Architectural styleRevival
NRHP reference No.92001587
Added to NRHPNovember 12, 1992

History

The building's original owner was lawyer-turned-superior court judge and pioneer Fremont resident Charles E. Remsberg (1864-1945).[3] He was one of the most vocal supporters of the Lake Washington Ship canal and as well as serving as Port Commissioner would later help establish the Fremont State Bank.[4] In 1901 he built the first Fremont Hotel, a two story wood frame building, at the southwest corner of Fremont Avenue and N 35th Street, then known as Blewett Street.[5] In June 1903 a fire started on the block, destroying several buildings and severely damaging the hotel, at that time occupied on the ground floor by the Smart & Ainslie print shop and Peterson's paint shop & fruit stand. Pennell & Co.'s new and used furniture store, occupying a detached 2-story building to the south also owned by Remsberg, received heavy damage as well. The building was quickly rebuilt in much the same way it was.[6] An annex would be added to the West side of the building in 1907, adding 50 hotel rooms.[7]

In 1911, plans were made by the city to build a new street (Fremont Place) connecting Fremont Avenue and N 36th Street that would bisect the block between 35th and 36th Street and give traffic a more gradual curve on their way to and from Ballard. Remsberg's property was in the path of the new street and he would lose most of his corner building. In May of that year he commissioned architects Josenhans & Allan to largely rebuild the Fremont hotel to maximize the remaining land. While still essentially a wood-frame building, the street facade would be clad in concrete blocks with a pressed tin cornice, giving the building a more permanent appearance. The $20,000 building contained 6 store rooms on the ground floor and office space above. The Fremont Hotel would continue to occupy the 1907 annex as well as a wing behind the office building containing 36 rooms total.[8]

The building remained under Remsberg's ownership until November 1918 when it was sold at auction by the Fremont State Bank.[9] The building today retains most of its original architecture, even down to the original wood frame storefront windows. The 1907 annex has since been reduced to a single floor but retains the original Beaux-Arts style architrave entrance, once the main entrance to the hotel.

See also

References
  1. "Fremont Building". focus.nps.gov. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  2. "Fremont Vintage Mall". fremontvintagemall.com. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  3. "C. Remsberg, Attorney, Dies". The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Newsbank. 19 May 1945. p. 16.
  4. "Campaign Begins for Port Commissioner - Nomination Petitions Filed by General Chittenden, Robert Bridges, C.E. Remsberg for Offices". The Seattle Daily Times. Newsbank. 14 Aug 1911. p. 14.
  5. "Real Estate and Building News". The Seattle Daily Times. Newsbank. 3 Aug 1901. p. 10. C.E. Remsberg has just completed a two-story store building on the corner of Fremont and Blewitt (sic) Avenues. The size of the building is 36x40.
  6. "Destructive Fire in Fremont: Business Section Damaged to an Amount That Exceeds $9,000". The Seattle Daily Times. Newsbank. 24 Jun 1903. pp. 1–2.
  7. "Kilbourne Regrade Opposed in Fremont". The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Newsbank. 2 Jun 1907. p. 15. C.E. Remsberg is building an addition to his property at Fremont Avenue and Blewett Street which is now occupied by the Fremont Hotel...
  8. "Fremont Is Scene of Great Improvements [...] Structures Erected by Bird & Sanders, West & Wheeler and C.E. Remsberg Do Credit to Business District". The Seattle Daily Times. Newsbank. 10 Mar 1912. p. 44.
  9. "Bids Wanted [...] for the purchase of the Remsberg Building [Advertisement]". The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Newsbank. 26 Nov 1918. p. 17.
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