OpenStreetMap (new tab)

Google Map (new tab)

Google Streetview (new tab)

Overview

Built with backing from the Seattle Brewing and Malting Company, Germania Hall was one of the earliest sustantial brick buildings in this section of Seattle's Downtown. It became notable for its accomodation of German-American social organizations and as a scene of many early-century boxing contests. A well-patronized restaurant, the Germania Cafe, notable for its Teutonic cuisine, operated here from about 1905 until 1916.

Building History

The Seattle Brewing and Malting Company financed the erection of Germania Hall in 1894, utilizing its corner storefront as a bar to serve its beverages. Two other first-floor storefronts lined the 2nd Avenue facade. The second floor contained offices used by various German-American social organizations, including the German Odd Fellows, Sons of Herman, and the women's group, Frauen Verein. The local Turn Verein, a German-American group that advocated for physical fitness, had a gymnasium on the third floor, where gymnastics, tumbling, boxing and wrestling took place. This gym also had a bar, initially, no doubt, serving Seattle Brewing and Malting Company products. The Turn Verein operated here until about 12/1903, when the Athenian Athletic Club obtained the lease on the space.

The Seattle Brewing and Malting Company found William Bloch, Sr., (born c. 1863 in Germany-d. 10/29/1931 in Seattle, WA), a German immigrant who had made it to Seattle by 1889, to manage the beer hall. Bloch prospered in his endeavor, and then opened the Germania Cafe in the adjoining two storefronts. Bloch's cafe employed 16 people and was considered one of the finest operating in the city during the first decades of the 20th century, a nexus for the city's German-American community. (See "'Billy' Bloch, Famed as Cafe Owner, Dead," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 10/31/1931, p. 1.) When the German-American orgnizations left the building c. 1905, Bloch became the manager of all three floors. He made a deal with Alexander Pantages to open the Lois Theatre on the second and third floors, c. 1910. After the Lois Theatre, the Loyal Order of Moose leased the upper floors for their assemblies.

Bloch operated the bar until the coming of Prohibition in Washington State on 11/03/1914. The 1914 Washington State dry law outlawed the manufacture and sale of alcohol, but allowed for a private party to consume limited quantities if it were obtained out-of-state. As Paula Becker wrote in HistoryLink.org, "...The law allowed individuals with permits to import up to two quarts of hard liquor or 12 quarts of beer every 20 days." Additionally, pharmacies could dispense alcohol by prescription for various ailments, causing a spike in the number of new drug stores in Seattle during early 1916. (See Paula Becker, HistoryLink.org, "Prohibition in Washington State," posted 11/20/2010, accessed 0715/2019.)

The passage of Prohibition in WA directly affected Bloch's enterprises in two ways. First, it forced the closure of his corner beer hall, which became a hat store. Second, undercover police raided the Germania Cafe on 10/30/1916, finding illegal whiskey under a safe in the restaurant and arrested Bloch, his bartender, W.H. Keuhl, and a porter, S. Huodo. A newspaper article reported: "The raid and arrests occurred when one of the members of the dry squad trailed a barrel of whisky from Pier D to the garage of Bloch's home, at 1436 East Prospect. The whisky was seized and warrants were then obtained for the cafe. A pitcher containing a small amount of whisky was found back of the bar and Kuehl was arrested for that. While the place was being raided Huodo walked into the cafe with a grip which, when searched, was found to contain a bottle of whisky. Huodo claimed he purchased the whisky mail order from San Francisco. All three were released on $500 bail, which was put up for each by Bloch." (See "Germanis Cafe Raided by Police," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 10/31/1916, p. 4.) Bloch and Huodo were each fined $100 each for having an "unlawful amount of alcohol in their possession" on 12/04/1917. (See "Two Fined; Liquor Case," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 12/05/1917, p. 14.) This arrest forced Bloch to close the Germania Cafe in either late 1916 or 1917. By late 1917, probably as a result of his friendship with Alexander Pantages, Bloch had opened the Orpheum Cafe at 115 Columbia Street. This place, too, was raided on 02/19/1918, and subsequently seized by authorities and closed. (See "Remnants of Cafe Loaded into Trucks," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 02/21/1918, p. 8 and "Axes of Dry Squad Put Bloch out of Business," Seattle Daily Times, 02/20/1918, p. 14.)

Bloch then left for Chicago, IL, but returned to Seattle near the end of his life, where he passed away in 1931. One wonders whether the World War I period's anti-German sentiment had any bearing on the Seattle police investigation and closure of the Germania and Orpheum Cafes, and Bloch's decision to leave Seattle for the Midwest.

Building Notes

Germania Hall's third floor was initially used by the Seattle Turnverein Club as its gymnasium. After this group left, the space became occupied by the Athenian Athletic Club, organized in 1903. "Arrangements have been completed for club headquarters at Germania Hall, where classes will be formed for instruction in general gymnastics, wrestling and boxing, and where exhibitions will be given within the next ten days. The motive of the club is to promote interest in amateur athletics. The Athenian Athletic Club has made application for membership in the Pacific Athletic Association of the Amateur Athletic Union, and will be governed by the rules and regulations of that athletic association." (See "New Athletic Club," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 12/22/1903, p. 3.) Even before the formation of the AAC, promoters George Bishop and Tommy Clancy had used the Germania Hall as a venue for boxing in 1898. (See "Veteran Ring Figure to Take Dan Salt's Job," Seattle Daily Times, 08/02/1925, p. S2.) Between 1904 until the early 1910s, the AAC worked with boxing promoters to stage bouts here. An article in the sports pages of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in 1938 recalled: "Many of the contests were held in Germania Hall over Billy Bloch's saloon, 2nd Ave. and Seneca St. Seating capacity was limited, accommodations not too good. It was there Tommy Reilly cut short Sheriff Bob Hodges rise to tistic fame, and Spider Kelley and Tommy Tracey gave a great exhibition of scientific boxing." (See Portus Baxter, "The Old Timer," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 08/08/1938, p. HH13.) It appears that the boxing matches held at Germania Hall ended c. 1910. An article of 1916 stated: "Up to a few years ago, when the present brick building was erected, there was a frame structure with a hall overhead, that was the scene of many famous boxing matches in the days when Seattle was a mecca for boxers." (See "Bloch Becomes Sole Owner of Germania,"Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 01/21/1916, p. B11.)

Several reports of crimes occurring inside or directly outside the Germania Cafe can be found in the Seattle Times newspaper between 1899 and 1902. An article appeared in the issue of 1899: "L.W. Gray, an Alaskan miner, lost $400 worth of nuggets on Saturday night and accuses William Bloch, one of the proprietors of the Germania Cafe on Second Avenue, of taking his property from him while he was in the saloon looking for a woman he had an appointment with. Bloch admits his being there, but says he was drunk and noisy, and was put out. The police do not believe that Gray lost the nuggets, but do not believe that Bloch knows anything about the matter. Detective Barbee--who investigated the case yesterday--was unable to find any evidence corroborating Gray's charges against Bloch." (See "Lost His Nuggets," Seattle Times, 10/24/1899, p. 8.) These reports of drunken miners being relieved of Klondike gold were relatively common at this time, particularly in the saloons south of Yesler Way. A classified advertisement of 01-06-1900 read: ""Lost--Golden Bracelet on New Year's eve, in Germania Hall, on sidewalk or in carriage; good reward awaits finder at Germania Cafe, corner Second Avenue and Seneca Street." (See classified ad, Seattle Daily Times, 01/06/1900, p. 23.) The Cafe, itself, was burgled on the morning of 03/14/1901, by a thief who took $200 in cash.(See "Robbed a Cafe," Seattle Daily Times, 03/14/1901, p. 7.) Another story described a burglary that occurred at the cafe on 12/10/1902. (See In Through the Transom: Burglar Has a Good Time in the Germania Cafe," Seattle Times, 12/10/1902, p. 8.)

Another article described a fight outside the cafe in 1902: "Considerable excitement prevailed on Seneca Street yesterday afternoon when a cook named Rupke and a waiter, both of whom work in the Germania cafe, at the corner of Second Avenue and Seneca Street, became involved in a running street fight. The fun and excitement was increased by Mrs. Rupke joining the fray and getting the waiter down on the sidewalk. She was in the act of sailing into him in good fistic style when some one shouted, 'Here comes the police.' All parties then broke away and ran in different directions. The cook ran up the hill toward Third Avenue and waiter down Second Avenue and both disappeared. The affair attracted a big crowd, but no policemen." (See "Running Street Fight," Seattle Times, 02/15/1902, p. 7.)

In 1904, a women's apparel store, Stone, Fisher and Lane, had its Seattle main store on the corner of 2nd Avenue and Seneca Street in 1904. At this time, it also maintained branch stores in Everett, WA, and Tacoma, WA. (See Stone, Fisher and Lane advertisement, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 08/25/1904, p. 3.)

In 1894, Tacoma, WA, also had a Germania Hall. A Tacoma Police Department annual ball was being held there in 11/01/1894. (See "Brief Tacoma News," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 10/13/1894, p. 2.)

A later Germania Cafe operated at 521 Pike Street in 1935. (See "Gallant Soldier Found Bride as Army Marched to Rhine," Seattle Daily Times, 05/14/1935, p. 1.)

Alt and Company, Tailor, occupied the storefront at 1118 2nd Avenue from before 1917 until 1958. (See Frank Lynch, "Seattle Scene: Are Those Elegant Days Gone Forever?" Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 12/27/1957, p. S15.)

Alteration

A fire destroyed the Lois Theatre operating in Germania Hall on 12/18/1911. The Seattle Daily Times noted in 1931: "Fire in the building at the southeast corner of Second and Seneca destroyed the interior of the Lois Theatre and damaged Billy Bloch's Germania Cafe underneath it. The fire started during a performance of 'Carmen' but the coolness of the actors prevented any panic in the large audience." (See "From the Times 20 Years Ago: December 19, 1911," Seattle Daily Times, 12/19/1931, p. 6.) Very possibly, this fire caused William Bloch, Sr., some financial distress. He sold an interest in his Germania Cafe Company to Eugene Brunner c. 1913, but bought the shares back by 01/1916. (See "Bloch Becomes Sole Owner of Germania," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 01/21/1916, p. B11.)

Demolition

The north half of the building at 1100 2nd Avenue stood on this site in 2019. Germania Hall was one of two buildings torn down in 1958 to make room for a bank expansion next door: Frank Lynch of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote on 12/26/1957: "The several buildings north of the National Bank of Commerce will be razed presently--as part of the expansion program of that institution." (See Frank Lynch, "Seattle Scene: Exit Laughting from the Burning Theater," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 12/26/1957, p. S13.)

PCAD id: 19812