OpenStreetMap (new tab)

Google Map (new tab)

Google Streetview (new tab)

Overview

In 1901, the Capital Brewing Company opened this facility on the northeast corner of 1st Avenue South and South Jackson Street; it had the addresses of 106 South Jackson Street and 322-324 1st Avenue South. The Capital Brewing Company, founded in 1896 in Olympia, became the Olympia Brewing Company in 1902, and operated under that name until ceased operations in 2003. Beacause of Seattle's rapid growth after 1897 and the onset of the Klondike Gold Rush, the Olympia-based brewery opened a Seattle facility to serve thirsty prospectors lodging temporarily in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood before heading to AK.

Building History

According to architectural historian Dennis Andersen, the Capital Brewing Company Building was one of the first designs in Seattle, WA, by Conradin (Carl) Alfred Breitung, who had arrived in the city c. 1900 from Kansas City, MO, and points east. Brewing companies, often owned by German immigrants, frequently selected fellow German expatriates to design them. (See Dennis A. Andersen, "Breitung and Buchinger," in Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, ed., Shaping Seattle Architecture, [Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994], p. 84-85.) The Seattle Times wrote in its edition of 05/25/1901: "Architect Breitung is at work on the plans for the new building to be erected on the corner of First Avenue and Jackson Street, by the Capitol Brewing Company, of Olympia. It will be a three-story building, to cost about $28,000." (See "Real Estate and Building Review," Seattle Times, 05/25/1901, p. 24.) Later, this three-story, brick-faced block became known as the Jackson Building.

Part of the Capital Brewing Company's historical significance lies in its restoration. In 1963, this became the first Pioneer Square building to be rehabilated for contemporary purposes, initiating a concerted 15 years of neighborhood restoration. A report on the Capital Brewing Buildng (aka the Jackson Building) prepared by the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods summarized this early instance of adaptive reuse: "The Jackson Building is also famous in the history of the Pioneer Square Historic District, because it was the first building restored in the district in 1963. Architect Ralph Anderson was responsible for this early renovation, which occurred several years before the establishment of the Pioneer Square-Skid Road National Historic District/ Pioneer Square Preservation District. The building is also important in the early cultural life in the district in the late 1960s and thereafter. Alan Van Salsbury, who had a prestigious interior design firm at the time, was a tenant of the building. Sculptor John Geise had a studio in the basement, while Ralph Anderson had an office on the top floor. Bill Speidel, the creator of the Underground Tours, was also one of the original tenants. Richard White, responsible for the first renovation of the Globe Building, [apparently mainly of the 'Globe Hotel' portion], had a gallery space here, where he sold antiques and oriental carpets." (See Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, "Summary for 322 1st AVE / Parcel ID 5247800345," accessed 03/16/2016.)

Building Notes

The City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods report remarked on the high quality of its design: "This building originally housed the Capitol Brewing and Malting Company and was built in 1900. It was designed by Carl Alfred Breitung. The Capitol Brewing and Malting Company later became the Olympic Brewery and subsequently, the elegant interior became the home of the Tumwater Tavern. Although built as a utilitarian building, it is an elegant Renaissance Revival building. Like its neighbors, it dates from a time of economic and industrial growth for the original heart of Seattle, in part due to the Klondike Gold Rush. Although many of its neighbors are also distinguished buildings, the Jackson Building stands out for the quality and originality of its design and the relative richness of its construction materials." (See Seattle Historical Sites Summaryfor 322 1st AVE / Parcel ID 5247800345, accessed 03/06/2016.) This report misspelled the company's name from 1896-1902. As written in Seattle city directories, it was the "Capital Brewing Company," not the "Capitol Brewing and Malting Company."

In the tympanum of the pediment facing South Jackson Street, the letters "CBC" were included in terra cotta, for the Capital Brewing Company.

As measured by the King County Assessor's Office, the Capital Brewing Company Building occupied a small 3,300-square-foot (0.8-acre) site, and contained13,320 gross square feet, 11,280 net.

Alteration

This was one of the earliest buildings in Seattle's Pioneer Square area to be rehabilitated in the 1960s. Architect, Ralph Anderson (1924-2010), who did so much rehab work in this area, started this project in 1963. According to the King County Assessor, alterations on the Capital Brewing Company Building also occurred in 1978.