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Overview

This significant and versatile office building stood on the west side of 2nd Avenue between Madison and Spring Streets.

Building History

The Rialto Building housed a number of important tenants. From 1896-1899, the Rialto Building housed the Seattle Public Library on its second floor. (Previously, the library had occupied reading room space in the Collins Building across the street at 520-524 2nd Avenue.) The library remained at the Rialto Block until it was moved to Henry Yesler's 40-room mansion on 01/12/1899. Around 1905, much of the Rialto housed the Frederick, Nelson and Munro Store and Holiday Goods Store located at the corner of Second Avenue and Madison Street. Frederick and Nelson marketed furniture and carpets at this location, c. 1905. Just to the west of the Rialto Building in 1905, at 1008-1016 1st Avenue, the Standard Furniture sold furniture and carpets in competition with Frederick and Nelson.

By 1910, Frederick and Nelson occupied almost the entire block.

Building Notes

The Rialto Hall stood near the northwest corner of 2nd Avenue and Madison Street. (see Polk's Seattle Directory Company's Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1898, p. 822.)

Demolition

The Rialto Building was razed to make room for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Seattle Branch erected between 1949 and 1951.

PCAD id: 7695