The Pioneer Building completed in 1892

Nestled in the heart of Seattle's Pioneer Square District, at the intersection of First Avenue and James Street, stands the Pioneer Building. From Seattle's earliest days until the early 1880s, this corner was the site of Henry and Sarah Yesler's home and orchard. As the business district grew in the early 1880s, Yesler moved to a new mansion three blocks away. Rather than demolishing his old house, he moved it to the back of the lot and filled the front with relocated buildings.

Architect Elmer Fisher designed the Pioneer Building, which was completed in 1892 following the Great Seattle Fire of 1889. The building features an exterior of Bellingham Bay gray sandstone, red brick, and terra cotta. While it was originally built with a seventh-floor tower room, that structure was removed due to damage caused by the 1949 earthquake. The interior structure consists of cast iron columns and steel beams supporting timber joists, with two atria providing light to the interior.

The building quickly became an important business location for downtown Seattle. During the Klondike Gold Rush in 1897, 48 different mining companies had offices in it. During Prohibition, the Pioneer Building was the clandestine location of "Seattle's First Speakeasy." It was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1977 and today houses Doc Maynard's Nightclub and Lounge along with a gift shop for the Seattle Underground Tour.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons