OpenStreetMap (new tab)

Google Map (new tab)

Google Streetview (new tab)

Overview

This dock served as a steamship terminal; with a large domed entryway and a Mediterranean clock tower, the terminal could be seen from a great distance away and served as a prominent landmark along Seattle's waterfront. It served from about 1909 until 1912, when it was severely damaged by a steel-hulled steamship. Following this mishap, Colman Dock required reconstruction.

Building History

Seattle architects the Beezer Brothers designed this new facility for new ownership of Colman Dock in 1908. James Colman passed away in 1906, and ownership of the dock changed hands to the Puget Sound Navigation Company (PSNC). It was considered important to provide a new facility to greet travelers to the city visiting its Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (AYPE) in 1909.

Building Notes

In 1906, several shops occupied storefronts on Colman Dock's eastern facade. These included: the Sunde & Erland Company, Sail Makers and Ship Carpenters, Frank H. Folsom, electrical contractor, C.T. Vernecke Company Furs, and the Loggers Supply Company. The Logger's Supply Company, located at 815 Colman Dock, advertised its tents and camping goods in the 06/17/1908 issue of the Seattle Star, (p. 3).

Alteration

In 1912, a steamship, the S.S. Alameda, ran into the Colman Dock, damaging it; architect David Riggs Huntington (1871-1962) rebuilt a large masonry terminal and clock tower at the west end of the dock.

Demolition

All of the early-twentieth-century buildings associated with Colman Dock have been removed. In 2017, a project to replace the dock's wooden supports was under way by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

PCAD id: 4738