Peter Kirk Building
Encyclopedia
The Peter Kirk Building, first known as the Kirkland Investment Company Building, is a historic building in Kirkland, Washington
located at the corner of Market Street and Seventh Avenue, Kirkland's historic commercial core. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. It was built in 1889 by the city's founder and namesake Peter Kirk
, who constructed the building as the centerpiece of his planned steel producing city. Following the panic of 1893, the building remained occupied but fell into disrepair by the 1960s. The building was rescued from demolition in the early 1960s by a syndicate
led by William Radcliffe who purchased and restored the Peter Kirk Building into the Kirkland Arts Center which it remains to this day. Today it is one of Kirkland's most historic and symbolic structures.
The building is notable for its corner turret and Victorian and Romanesque designs which remain intact. It is constructed of locally pressed red brick with plaster, rusticated stone and tin trimmings. It is the oldest commercial building on the Eastside
of Lake Washington
.
in spite of many owners and periods of neglect, appears the same as it did in the late
19th century. There have been some interior changes such as a stairway being moved and the addition of a fire escape
in the rear and also the addition of a mezzanine
. The land on which it sits is sloping. The building is basically square, measuring 59' x 55'. The roof is flat with a continuous parapet
on the north and west faces (approximately 3 feet high). There is an isolated pediment
rising above the roof line on the west face. There is a decorated entablature
with dentils and stylized brackets
; the entablature is metal. The building material is brick in stretcher bond pattern. It is two stories with no basement. Second story windows are tall semicircular with radiating voussoir
s and continuous sills; they are all double hung sash
, The western face on street level has store front windows, full length topped by 48 section "lights". The north face main level windows are squat segmented with radiating voussoirs and a surround with trim. The entrance is semi-circular w/radiating voussoirs and a surround with trim., The recessed doors are double with windows. There is a two section fan transom
above the doors. The main entrance is topped on the second level by a turret
with a candle snuffer
roof. The turret has four double hung windows topped by leaded stained glass
lights. There is a metal finial
atop the turret roof.
business and The Elder Drug store. Following the demise of Kirk's plans for the town as a steel producing mecca, the business center shifted away from the Kirk Building towards the waterfront. The upper floor was vacated when the Kirkland Investment Company was sold to Seattle Developers Burke & Farrar, who played a major role in revitalizing Kirkland as a suburban community in the early 1910s. The second floor was later converted to apartments while the ground floor continued to host businesses including a butcher shop, a grocery store and a furniture store. One of these was the Eastside Furniture Company, owned by Kirkland's youngest mayor, Al Leland, in the 1940s.
After years of neglect, the building was threatened with demolition in the late 1950s because the landlord couldn't afford to make the needed repairs. William Radcliffe, a local teacher, purchased space in the building's then vacant upper story in 1958 for an art studio. In 1961, he and a group of local investors, known as the Peter Kirk Syndicate, purchased the building to clean it up and perform needed repairs. Their intention was to "preserve the building as an historic structure and use the building for the cultural enrichment of the community." The members of the syndicate donated their shares of the building to form the Creative Arts League which moved into the building where it offered various art classes as well as operating a small theater.
The Peter Kirk Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and after receiving the federal tax credits, the building was given a full restoration in 1977.
In 2010, the Peter Kirk Building was nominated to compete for part of a $1 million grant from American Express
as part of their Partners In Preservation Seattle-Puget Sound Initiative.
Kirkland, Washington
Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is a suburb of Seattle on the Eastside . The population was 48,787 at the 2010 census makes it the 9th largest city in King County and the 20th largest city in the state...
located at the corner of Market Street and Seventh Avenue, Kirkland's historic commercial core. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It was built in 1889 by the city's founder and namesake Peter Kirk
Peter Kirk (businessman)
Peter Kirk was a British-born American businessman who founded the City of Kirkland in King County, Washington, United States. The town is named in his honour....
, who constructed the building as the centerpiece of his planned steel producing city. Following the panic of 1893, the building remained occupied but fell into disrepair by the 1960s. The building was rescued from demolition in the early 1960s by a syndicate
Syndicate
A syndicate is a self-organizing group of individuals, companies or entities formed to transact some specific business, or to promote a common interest or in the case of criminals, to engage in organized crime...
led by William Radcliffe who purchased and restored the Peter Kirk Building into the Kirkland Arts Center which it remains to this day. Today it is one of Kirkland's most historic and symbolic structures.
The building is notable for its corner turret and Victorian and Romanesque designs which remain intact. It is constructed of locally pressed red brick with plaster, rusticated stone and tin trimmings. It is the oldest commercial building on the Eastside
Eastside (King County, Washington)
File:Seattle-lakewashington-lakesammamish.PNG|250px|right|The Eastside is to the right of Seattle.# rough city boundariespoly 137 256 148 256 158 194 172 179 172 237 212 266 133 266Renton...
of Lake Washington
Lake Washington
Lake Washington is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle. It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest in the state of Washington, after Lake Chelan. It is bordered by the cities of Seattle on the west, Bellevue and Kirkland on the east, Renton on the south and...
.
Present and original appearance
The Peter Kirk Building is generally late victorian in character and the exterior,in spite of many owners and periods of neglect, appears the same as it did in the late
19th century. There have been some interior changes such as a stairway being moved and the addition of a fire escape
Fire escape
A fire escape is a special kind of emergency exit, usually mounted to the outside of a building or occasionally inside but separate from the main areas of the building. It provides a method of escape in the event of a fire or other emergency that makes the stairwells inside a building inaccessible...
in the rear and also the addition of a mezzanine
Mezzanine (architecture)
In architecture, a mezzanine or entresol is an intermediate floor between main floors of a building, and therefore typically not counted among the overall floors of a building. Often, a mezzanine is low-ceilinged and projects in the form of a balcony. The term is also used for the lowest balcony in...
. The land on which it sits is sloping. The building is basically square, measuring 59' x 55'. The roof is flat with a continuous parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
on the north and west faces (approximately 3 feet high). There is an isolated pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
rising above the roof line on the west face. There is a decorated entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
with dentils and stylized brackets
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
; the entablature is metal. The building material is brick in stretcher bond pattern. It is two stories with no basement. Second story windows are tall semicircular with radiating voussoir
Voussoir
A voussoir is a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, used in building an arch or vault.Although each unit in an arch or vault is a voussoir, two units are of distinct functional importance: the keystone and the springer. The keystone is the center stone or masonry unit at the apex of an arch. A...
s and continuous sills; they are all double hung sash
Sash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass, which are often separated from other panes by narrow muntins...
, The western face on street level has store front windows, full length topped by 48 section "lights". The north face main level windows are squat segmented with radiating voussoirs and a surround with trim. The entrance is semi-circular w/radiating voussoirs and a surround with trim., The recessed doors are double with windows. There is a two section fan transom
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
above the doors. The main entrance is topped on the second level by a turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
with a candle snuffer
Candle snuffer
In modern times, a candle snuffer is an instrument used to extinguish burning candles. This is accomplished by smothering the flame with a small metal cup that is suspended from a long handle, and thus depriving it of oxygen. The use of a candle snuffer helps to avoid problems associated with...
roof. The turret has four double hung windows topped by leaded stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
lights. There is a metal finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
atop the turret roof.
History
Ground was broken for the building in 1889 at the southeast corner of Market and Picadilly Street (now Seventh Avenue) in what was then Kirkland's main intersection and intended business district. The bricks were made at Kirk's own brick works located where Peter Kirk Park is now out of locally dug clay. The building was completed at a cost of $8,000. Kirk located his offices for the Kirkland Investment Company on the upper floor; his own office in the corner turret. The first floor was initially occupied by Guptil and Evans, a dry goodsDry goods
Dry goods are products such as textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, and sundries. In U.S. retailing, a dry goods store carries consumer goods that are distinct from those carried by hardware stores and grocery stores, though "dry goods" as a term for textiles has been dated back to 1742 in England or...
business and The Elder Drug store. Following the demise of Kirk's plans for the town as a steel producing mecca, the business center shifted away from the Kirk Building towards the waterfront. The upper floor was vacated when the Kirkland Investment Company was sold to Seattle Developers Burke & Farrar, who played a major role in revitalizing Kirkland as a suburban community in the early 1910s. The second floor was later converted to apartments while the ground floor continued to host businesses including a butcher shop, a grocery store and a furniture store. One of these was the Eastside Furniture Company, owned by Kirkland's youngest mayor, Al Leland, in the 1940s.
After years of neglect, the building was threatened with demolition in the late 1950s because the landlord couldn't afford to make the needed repairs. William Radcliffe, a local teacher, purchased space in the building's then vacant upper story in 1958 for an art studio. In 1961, he and a group of local investors, known as the Peter Kirk Syndicate, purchased the building to clean it up and perform needed repairs. Their intention was to "preserve the building as an historic structure and use the building for the cultural enrichment of the community." The members of the syndicate donated their shares of the building to form the Creative Arts League which moved into the building where it offered various art classes as well as operating a small theater.
The Peter Kirk Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and after receiving the federal tax credits, the building was given a full restoration in 1977.
In 2010, the Peter Kirk Building was nominated to compete for part of a $1 million grant from American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
as part of their Partners In Preservation Seattle-Puget Sound Initiative.
See also
- Peter KirkPeter Kirk (businessman)Peter Kirk was a British-born American businessman who founded the City of Kirkland in King County, Washington, United States. The town is named in his honour....
- Masonic Lodge BuildingMasonic Lodge Building (Kirkland, Washington)The Masonic Lodge Building, also known as the Campbell Building and first known as the French & Church Building, is an historic building located at 702 Market Street at the corner of Seventh Avenue in the historic commercial core of Kirkland, Washington. It was built in 1890-91 by Kirkland...
- Joshua Sears BuildingJoshua Sears BuildingThe Joshua Sears Building is a historic building in Kirkland, Washington located at the northwest corner of Market Street and Seventh Avenue, Kirkland's historic commercial core. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places...