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Building History

Founded in 1900, Edwin F. James and Company moved into a storefront at 114 Cherry Street in the Hoge Building #1, in 05/1909. James was a real estate firm that was also becoming active in loans and insurance in 1909. It spent 9 years in offices in the New York Block prior to moving here. Reflective of the period's efforts to rethink processes and improve efficiency, Edwin F. James announced that it would do away with huge desks in favor of smaller, more portable furniture. The Seattle Daily Times of 05/30/1909 noted: "Especial care has been exercised in arranging the office to facilitate business. A rather novel feature has been introduced in discarding the cumbersome desks usual in such offices and substituting neat, small, sanitary salesman's desks." (See "James & Co. Move Offices," Seattle Daily Times, 05/30/1909, p. 7.) Offices at this time were using less bulky and antique, hand-made furniture, opting instead for cheaper, mass-produced and transportable desks, chairs and other equipment. It is interesting that the writer chose to describe the new salesman's desks as "sanitary." In an era just learning about germ theory and disease transmission in tight urban areas, improved sanitation and hygiene methods had heightened importance. The three-story Romanesque brick building in which the James office was located was built originally as the "Washington Territory Investment Company, Office Building," located at 701-705 2nd Avenue.

Demolition

The Hoge Building #1 was razed. It was demolished c. 1910 to make way for the 18-story Hoge Building #2, for about 3 years the tallest building in Seattle, until surpassed by the much larger Smith Tower.

PCAD id: 23161