Category:Metropole Building

English: Metropole Building, 423 Second Avenue Extension South, in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA.

There is much confusion among modern sources about the origins of this building, owing to conflicting or a lack of specific information provided by early newspaper accounts, with some even claiming it was built before the great fire or that it was built by Henry K. Owens (of Scurry & Owens, civil engineers and later chief engineer of the Priest Rapids Railway near the Tri-Cities), but the latter plans may have fallen through or it may be referring to the adjoining building to the south, whose exact origins remain obscure. A Seattle Post-Intelligencer article from 1890-09-03 mentions that H.K. Owens (misspelled H.J. Owens) had owned the property and had even commissioned Elmer Fisher to design a building for it but instead traded with Henry Yesler for the lot immediately to the south in order to get a 4-cornered lot, where he proposed to build a 6-story building faced with roman brick, which bears no resemblance to the 4-story (now 2-story) building currently there. The transfer of part of lot 7, block 9 (a lot that the Metropole shares with its southern neighbor) from Yesler to Owens is mentioned on 1891-03-14 and in the June 6 edition of that year a review of buildings built since the fire mentions a 2-story building having been completed by Owens mid-block. The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, which is usually incorrect on the details of older buildings, comes the closest saying the Metropole Building was built "between 1892 and 1893". In March 1892 it was reported in the P-I that Henry Yesler had commissioned architect Charles W. Saunders to design a building to be faced with either Chuckanut or Tenino sandstone for the irregular-shaped vacant corner of Yesler Way and South Third Street behind the Seattle National Bank Building (Currently the Interurban Building). It was built at 3-floors, but designed to accommodate 3 more when needed.

This was the first G.O. Guy drugstore (see en:G. O. Guy). The building was severely damaged by a fire May 21, 2007, but the exterior walls appear are intact, and it will certainly be refurbished.

For more about the building, see Summary for 423 2nd Ave Extension / Parcel ID 5247800595, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods.