HARD DRIVE TO THE KLONDIKE:
PROMOTING SEATTLE DURING THE GOLD RUSH
A Historic Resource Study
for the Seattle Unit of the
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
CHAPTER SIX
Historic Resources in the Modern Era
U.S. Assay Office
| Property 1 | U.S. Assay Office 613 Ninth Avenue Seattle, WA |
Tax Parcel No.: 859040-0796 Legal Description: Lot 3, Blk. 69, Terry's First Add. National Register Status: Listed on March 16, 1972 |
Architectural Description
The two-story U.S. Assay Office is an "excellent example of a 19th century commercial cast-iron and masonry building, typified with larger, open street level bays and narrow vertical window openings on other facades and on the upper street-front level." [21] The front facade includes two traditional style storefronts consisting of large windows, kick plates, and transoms. The arched entrance to the second floor space is surrounded by columns and a pediment. Five centrally located arched windows on the second floor are flanked by narrow rectangular windows. The protruding central portion of the parapet wall is decorated with a wooden cornice and brackets.
The U.S. Assay Office has undergone several minor alterations, including a narrow addition featuring arched windows similar to rest of the building added to the south side of the building. Many of the building's windows have been replaced or filled-in. Two first-floor windows on the north side of the building have been filled with brick. One south side window and all the second story windows on the rear (west) of the building have been replaced. A small wood sided addition has been added to the southwest corner of the building's second floor.
Historical Significance
The building that housed the U.S. Assay Office was erected in 1886 by Thomas Prosch, a secretary of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce and owner of the Post-Intelligencer, for use as an entertainment hall and office building. Originally, the first floor was used as offices and the second floor was rented as a ballroom. During the gold rush, the Seattle Chamber of Commerce recognized the city's need for a federal assay office. The Chamber of Commerce, represented by Erastus Brainerd, successfully lobbied for the establishment of an assay office. In May of 1898, the federal government rented Prosch's building and on July 15, 1898, the U.S. Assay Office opened. The Assay Office included a melting department. During the early years of the Klondike Gold Rush, deposits in the office reached approximately $20 million. In 1932, the U. S. Assay Office moved to a government-owned building.
In 1935, the Deutsches Haus (German House) purchased this property and renovated it for use as a social center. During World War II it was used as an entertainment center. After the war, the Deutsches Haus again occupied the structure. [22] The building is currently owned by the German Heritage Society.
The U.S. Assay Office is historically significant as a fine example of commercial cast-iron and masonry architecture, and because of its association with the Klondike Gold Rush, an event that contributed to the economic growth of Seattle. [23]
