LPBCurrentNom Seafirst

Landmark Nomination
Seattle-First National Bank / Bank of America, Capitol Hill Branch

224 Broadway Avenue East, Seattle
BOLA Architecture + Planning

Seattle
December 22, 2010

Landmark Nomination
December 22, 2010
CONTENTS
Landmark Nomination Form (1 page)
1. Introduction 1
Background
Research
Local and National Landmarks
Seattle's Landmarks Criteria
2. Property Data 4
3. Historical Context 5
Development of Capitol Hill and the Broadway Commercial District
Historical Overview of the Seattle First-National Bank / Bank of America
Emergence of the Post-War Bank
The Seattle-First National Bank in the Post-War Era
The Original Designer, Architects Sullam and Aehle, Seattle
Construction of the Building and Prior Buildings on the Site
4. Architectural Description 10
The Urban Context and Site
The Bank Building
Changes over Time
5. Bibliography 14
6. Maps and Images 16
Cover: King County Tax Assessor's photo, 1968 (top) and December 2010 view (bottom).

159 Western Avenue West, Suite 486
Seattle, Washington 98119
206.447.4749
Name (common, present, or historic): Seattle-First National Bank / Bank of America
Year built: 1968
Street and number: 224 Broadway Avenue East
Assessor's file no.: 6003501265
Legal description: Nagles 2nd Addition to the City of Seattle, Block 51, Lots 5, 6, 9 and 10, and
the west 48 feet of Lot 7 and the west 48 feet of the north 20 feet of Lot 8,
and the south 40 feet of Lot 8 as recorded in Volume 5 of plats, page 67,
recoded in King County, Washington.
Plat name: Nagle's 2nd Addition Block: 51 Lot: 5, 6, 9, and 10; and
portions of lots 7 and 8
Present owner: RDMSRMB230 LLC Present use: Bank
Original owner: Seattle-First National Bank Original use: Bank
Architect: Sullam and Aehle

Builder: unknown
SEE ATTACHED for physical description, statement of significance, and photographs
Submitted by: Andy Loos, SRM Development

Address: 520 6th Street South
Kirkland, WA 98033
Phone: (425) 629-4433
Date: December 22, 2010
Reviewed (historic preservation officer): Date:

Landmark Nomination
December 21, 2010
1. INTRODUCTION
Background
This landmark nomination report on the Bank of America branch at 224 Broadway Avenue East was
undertaken at the request of the property owner, RDMSRMB230 LLC. The building is located in
Capitol Hill’s Broadway commercial district at the northwest corner of the intersection of Broadway
Avenue East and East Thomas Street. An Appendix A report was provided in 2009. Recently, the
Department of Neighborhoods requested a landmark nomination be prepared for the subject property as
part of a SEPA review for a Master Use Permit.
This report provides a description of the building's history and architecture, as well as the historical
development of the Capitol Hill neighborhood in which it is located. It includes information about the
architects, the history of banks as a building type and bank design, and the history of Seattle-First
National Bank. A bibliography is provided at the end of the report, followed by historic and
contemporary images and tax records.
Research
The research and report were developed by Susan Boyle and Sonja Sokol Fürész of BOLA Architecture +
Planning. Sources for historic research materials included:
 Planning and survey documents: Historic Seattle's 1975 Capitol Hill: An Inventory of Buildings and
Urban Design Resource (Nyberg and Steinbrueck), and Department of Neighborhoods Historical
Site Inventory database
 City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development (DPD) microfilm permit and drawing
records
 Property information from King County Parcel Viewer and the tax assessor's historic property
records from Puget Sound Regional Archives
 Historic photos from the collections of the City of Seattle Municipal Archives, University of
Washington Libraries Special Collections, and Museum of History and Industry
 Polk Directories, Kroll maps, Sanborn Insurance Company maps, and the Northwest index from the
Seattle Room of Seattle's Central Public Library
 Publications and pamphlets on Seattle-First National Bank/Bank of America
 Archival records from the State Department of Licensing, for information on the original architects
Seattle-First National Bank / Bank of America, 224 Broadway Ave E Landmark Nomination
BOLA Architecture + Planning December 21, 2010, page 2
Research included examination of the original permit records, tax records, historic maps and photos, and
site visits to view the neighborhood context, exteriors and site features and the interior spaces. Photos
were taken in December 2010 to document the building's original design features and current conditions.
Local and National Landmarks
Designated historic landmarks are those properties that have been recognized locally, regionally, or
nationally as important resources to the community, city, state, or nation. Official recognition may be
provided by a listing in the State or National Registers of Historic Places or at the local level by the City's
designation of the property as a historic landmark.
The City of Seattle's landmark process is a multi-part proceeding of three sequential steps involving the
Landmarks Preservation Board and the property owner:
1) Submission of a nomination and its review and approval by the Board,
2) A designation by the Board, and
3) Negotiation of controls and incentives by the owner and the Board staff.
A final step in Seattle's landmark process is approval of the designation by an ordinance passed by the
City Council. All of these steps occur with public hearings for input from the owner, applicant, the
public, and other interested parties. Seattle's landmark process is quasi-judicial, with the Board rendering
rulings rather than serving as an advisory body to another commission, department, or agency.
Under this ordinance, over 400 individual properties have become designated landmarks in the City of
Seattle. Several hundred other properties are designated by their presence within one of the City's seven
special review districts or historic districts known as Harvard-Belmont, Ballard, International District,
Pioneer Square, Columbia City, Fort Lawton, and Pike Place Market.
Designated landmark properties in Seattle include individual buildings and structures, building
assemblies, landscapes, and objects. In contrast to the National Register or landmark designation in some
other jurisdictions, the City of Seattle's process does not require owner consent.
Seattle's Landmarks Criteria
The City of Seattle's Landmarks Preservation Ordinance (SMC 25.12.350) requires a property to be
more than 25 years old and "have significant character, interest or value, as part of the development,
heritage or cultural characteristics of the City, State or Nation." The standard calling for significant
character may be described as a standard of integrity. Integrity is a term used to indicate that sufficient
original building fabric is present to convey the historical and architectural significance of the property.
Seattle's landmarks ordinance also requires a property meet one or more of six designation criteria:
Criterion A. It is the location of, or is associated in a significant way with, an historic event with a significant
effect upon the community, City, state or nation.
Criterion B. It is associated in a significant way with the life of a person important in the history of the City,
state or nation.
Criterion C. It is associated in a significant way with a significant aspect of the cultural, political, or economic
heritage of the community, City, state or nation.
Criterion D. It embodies the distinctive visible characteristics of an architectural style, or period, or of a method
of construction.
Criterion E. It is an outstanding work of a designer or builder.
Criterion F. Because of its prominence of spatial location, contrasts of siting, age, or scale, it is an easily
identifiable visual feature of its neighborhood or the City and contributes to the distinctive quality
or identity of such neighborhood or the City.
In Seattle, a landmark nomination may be prepared by a property owner, the City's Historic Preservation
Office, or by any interested party or individual. The ordinance requires that if the nomination is
adequate in terms of its information and documentation, the Landmarks Board must consider it within a
stipulated time frame. There is no city ordinance that requires an owner to nominate its property. Such
a step may occur if an owner proposes substantial development requiring a Master Use Permit (MUP).
Seattle's SEPA policies also require consideration of the historic significance of buildings over 50 years old
that appear to meet the designation criteria under the City landmarks preservation ordinance. The City's
landmarks process does not include consideration of future changes to a property, the merits of a
development proposal, or continuance of any specific occupancy, as these are separate land use issues.
2. PROPERTY DATA
Original Names: Seattle-First National Bank, Capitol Hill Branch

Current Name: Bank of America, Capitol Hill Branch
Original/Current Use: Bank
Current Address: 224 Broadway Avenue East, Seattle, WA 98102
(Historically the bank property was identified as 230 Broadway Avenue

East, and prior to its construction the site contained buildings
addressed as 224 to 234 Broadway Avenue North.)
Date of Construction: 1968 (design date, 1966-1967)
Original Designer: Sullam and Aehle Architects, Seattle
Tax ID Number: 6003501265
Legal Description: Nagles 2nd Addition to the City of Seattle, Block 51, Lots 5, 6, 9 and
10, and the west 48 feet of Lot 7 and the west 48 feet of the north 20
feet of Lot 8, and the south 40 feet of Lot 8 as recorded in Volume 5 of
plats, page 67, recoded in King County, Washington
Site Area: 39,680 sf / 0.91 acres (King County Parcel Viewer)

The site extends in part through the full depth of the block to 10th
Avenue East.
Building Size: 12,276 sf (King County Parcel Viewer)
Original Owner: Seattle-First National Bank
Current Owner: RDMSRMB230 LLC
Owner's Rep: Andy Loos, Development Manager

SRM Development, LLC
520 6th Street South
Kirkland, WA 98033
tel. (425) 629-4433
3. HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Development of Capitol Hill and the Broadway Commercial District
Capitol Hill rises 444' in elevation above Elliott Bay and comprises part of a long ridge east of Lake
Union and the city's downtown. To the south of Capitol Hill is First Hill (composed of earlier
neighborhoods of First and Yesler Hills), and to the north is Portage Bay. The east boundary of Capitol
Hill is Madison Valley and the Central District, and the west edge was defined in the 1960s by the
construction of Interstate 5. The subject property, at 224 Broadway Avenue East, is located relatively
centrally in the neighborhood.
Originally platted by Arthur Denny before 1861, Capitol Hill did not immediately develop as a
residential neighborhood. Pioneer settlement of the hill began in the 1870s and 1880s when its timber
was cleared. In 1876 the City purchased 40 acres from J.M. Coleman, and that land became City Park in
1885 (changed to Volunteer Park in 1901). To the north of the park was the early Masonic Cemetery,
later called Lake View Cemetery.
The primary developer of the area, known originally as Broadway Hill, was James Moore. He had
acquired 160 acres in 1900 and renamed the district, cultivating the area directly south of Volunteer Park
as an upscale residential neighborhood. Capitol Hill quickly began to develop as a vibrant residential and
commercial community. In 1890, the Pontius / Lowell School opened on the corner of Mercer Street
and Federal Avenue. It was followed by construction of Seattle High / Broadway High school at
Broadway and Pine Street in 1902, and other public schools. Many religious institutions followed the
residential development. Early civic construction included Lincoln Reservoir (1900), the Volunteer Park
tower (ca. 1901), and Volunteer Park Conservatory (completed 1912).
In 1891 Broadway Avenue, the north-south arterial, received an electric trolley that linked Capitol Hill to
Beacon Hill, via First hill. The street was paved in 1903 and quickly became a favorite route for cyclists,
then motorists. Between 1907 and 1909, trolley routes were extended along 15th, 19th, and 23rd
Avenues, and the Bellevue-Summit line was added in 1913.
Figure-ground analysis of historic city maps shows the emergence of neighborhood commercial districts
along major streets and arterials, such as Broadway Avenue North (later designated East), that served
these early trolley lines and later bus transit routes. Initially these streets were lined with wood-frame
houses, typical of residential development throughout the area. These were supplanted by one- and two-
story wood-frame buildings, containing retail and service businesses along the sidewalk at street level,
typically with apartments at the upper floor. In the 1920s, taller, multi-use, brick buildings and
apartment houses were constructed as the city densified. After World War II some of the commercial
buildings grew larger as retailers consolidated and nationalized.
In addition to businesses, Broadway Avenue East also contains a wide range of institutions and
organizations, including the Broadway campus of Seattle Community College, several churches, arts
centers, consultants, medical offices, and non-profit organizations. The street level is occupied largely by
retail stores, restaurants, bars, cafes, and other service businesses.
On the block on which the subject bank stands, there is a clear history of development represented by
some of the older remaining structures, such as the former First Security Bank at 216 Broadway East (Tax
Parcel No. 6003501245), a 10,280 gross square foot Classic Revival style building constructed in a mid-
block location in 1928. Another example is a 1924 five-story, brick masonry apartment house, the
Capitol Building, at the far south end of the block with the address of 200 Broadway Avenue East (Parcel
No. 6003501225). The back or east side of the block is largely empty and paved for parking, while at the
northeast corner there is a vestige of early residential development in the former one-story house at 925
East Thomas Street (1901), which is presently occupied by the Pat Graney Dance Company and the
Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce (Parcel No. 6003501280).
Historical Overview of the Seattle-First National Bank / Bank of America
(Note: The following historic information is derived largely from a 2006 landmark nomination report
prepared by BOLA Architecture + Planning for the Seattle First National Bank/ Bank of America 6th and
Denny Branch.)
Currently a Bank of America branch, the subject building was first built as a Seattle-First National branch
in 1967. Bank of America acquired Seattle-First National Bank when BankAmerica Corporation bought
Seafirst Corporation in 1983.
The history of Seattle-First National Bank reaches back to the origins of Seattle and the city's earliest
banks. In 1870 Horton and David Phillips established the city's first official bank, later known as Dexter
Horton & Company. In 1877 the bank was incorporated. Two other organizations set the foundation
of Seattle-First National Bank: In 1882 another private bank, George W. Harris and Company, became
the First National Bank after it obtained a national charter. The following year, in 1883, Puget Sound
National Bank was founded.
Seattle was affected by the economic depression of the early 1890s, but toward the end of the decade its
economy boomed with the Yukon gold rush. In the first decade of the 20th century the local First
National Bank Group, Dexter Horton & Company, and Seattle National Bank grew by acquisition or
mergers with a number of other banks. With its merger with Puget Sound National Bank in 1910,
Seattle National Bank overtook Dexter Horton Bank as the largest local commercial bank. In late 1929,
three of Seattle's four major bank groups consolidated. Dexter Horton, Seattle National, and First
National joined together to form First Seattle Dexter Horton National Bank. The name of the merged
banks was changed in 1931 to First National Bank of Seattle, and in 1935 to Seattle-First National Bank.
Federal and state banking reform following the Depression allowed national banks to operate branches on
a statewide basis. Seattle-First National quickly converted its affiliate banks into branches and proceeded
to establish new branches. By the end of 1940, Seattle-First National had branched into 22 Washington
communities, becoming the largest bank in the Pacific Northwest and one of the 50 largest in the nation
(Scates, p. 85). The wartime economy of the 1940s resulted in large bank deposits and large lines of
credit extended to war contractors. Seattle-First National and other banks also participated in War Bond
drives and opened wartime offices at military posts and facilities.
After Word War II, through the 1950s and into the 1960s, Seattle-First National Bank continued to
grow through acquisitions and the establishment of new branches. By 1966, it had 117 branches and
3,100 employees. It remained the largest bank in the Northwest and had become the 28th-largest bank
in the nation. The Capitol Hill branch was built around this time.
In 1974, Seattle-First National Bank was established as a one-bank holding company and began to use
the Seafirst name. In 1983, the Seafirst Corporation was bought by BankAmerica Corporation, which
merged with Security Pacific Washington in 1992. The Seafirst name was retained on its branch banks
until 1999, at which point it was changed to Bank of America.
Emergence of the Post-War Bank
Historically, the American bank had been designed to represent tradition and solidity, using Classical
forms to reinforce a sense of permanence and continuity. Banks in the 19th and early 20th centuries
primarily served corporations, businesses, and the wealthy. To convey a sense of stability and permanence
early banks were designed using the traditions of Classical architecture. The bank building was a temple
with a grand banking hall. Internal functions were clearly separated into formal spaces to enforce a sense
of hierarchy and control. In Seattle this earlier business and building type is well represented by two
locally designated landmarks—the Dexter Horton Building at 710 2nd Avenue and the Puget Sound
Bank at 815 2nd Avenue.
The nature of banking and bank architecture changed radically in the post-war era due to broad cultural
shifts including general prosperity, the rise of middle-class consumers, and booming automobile use.
This was anticipated as early as the mid-1940s, when there was a call for "the bank building, as well as the
banker, [to] get rid of the 'stiff-collar and fishy eye' and meet the customer at least as engagingly as a first-
rate retail store" (Architectural Record, March 1945, p. 88).
Bank customers' needs in the post-war era resulted in a decided shift away from traditional bank design
that had sought to awe or overwhelm the customer. In cities and suburbs, women resumed their roles as
homemakers and shoppers and became the banks' primary customers. Members of the rising middle class
demanded new types of services (Progressive Architecture, October 1955). The architecture of the bank
responded to the "completely new attitude [that] invaded the banking business—that of being friendly"
(Progressive Architecture, June 1953, p. 125).
Modernism was the ideal complement for an industry seeking to distance itself from its stodgy past and
project a new, bold, optimistic image. Post-war banks were designed to be more human-scale and user-
oriented, with open floor plans that emphasized accessibility, friendliness, and contemporary notions of
progress.
Spatial qualities of the traditional bank designs persisted even in the post-war banks of the 1950s and
1960s: the conventional "banking hall" was transformed into a central, publicly accessible bank lobby,
with managers' quarters and tellers' cages on one or both sides where they were visible but separated by
low partitions. Bank offices, vaults, and employee lounges were located in more private areas, such as a
basement or second floor. Architecturally, the new banks also incorporated Modernist materials, such as
exterior façades of smooth concrete, glass block, or veneer of Roman brick or terra cotta panels and large
areas of insulating and heat-resistant glass. New conveniences were provided with ground level parking
lots, drive-up teller facilities, a 24-hour-depository, and escalators in multi-story buildings.
The "new concept" in bank design acknowledged the growing role of the automobile in daily life, and
sought to make the building accessible to drivers and noticeable to passing traffic. Drive-up windows,
ample parking, and careful placement of the bank on its lot addressed the auto culture. To make the
bank more visible to passersby, one critic wrote, "[m]ake it all glass, turn the whole building into a display
case, light it up at night" (Architectural Forum, February 1953, p. 107).
Modern style banks often featured glazed areas with a concrete core and a sheltering roof, or massive,
exposed roof structure elements. Examples of Modern style banks in Seattle include the 6th and Denny
Seattle-First National Bank (1950, designated a local landmark and now converted to a Walgreen's), the
US Bank at Battery Street and 3rd Avenue (1954), and the 6th and Olive NBC Bank (1955).
The Seattle-First National Bank in the Post-War Era
Architect J. Lister Holmes designed the first Modern style building for the Seattle-First National Bank—
for its Industrial Branch at 2764 1st Avenue South, which opened in 1946. According to a June 1960
newsletter of the Seattle-First National Bank, "Bankoscope," this branch building "represented a model –
a distinctive functional pattern of a new type of building to be followed in a state-wide building program
intended to standardize all branch offices" (p. 8). The development of a prototype design was a
“branding” effort by Seattle-First National to unify its image through standardization. Use of buildings
as symbols paralleled the bank’s 20th-century corporate marketing.
Holmes’ Modern design, which featured a symmetrical primary entry with tall concave entry surrounded
by brick veneer and large expanses of aluminum windows on side walls, served as a prototype for other
Seattle-First National Banks in Seattle and throughout the state. These included the 6th and Denny
Branch, designed by local architect John W. Maloney. The subject building, by comparison, dates from
the late 1960s, by which time Seattle-First National had begun working with different architects to create
varied designs for its branch facilities.
Seattle-First National was aware of its role as a local institution and the power of its bank designs. In the
early 1960s it announced plans to build a new headquarters in a downtown Seattle skyscraper. The site,
between Spring and Madison Streets and 3rd and 4th Avenues, across from the downtown public library,
was purchased for $1.35 million in 1965. The 50-story Sea-First Building (known as "the big one") was
opened in summer 1969. Designed by NBBJ, the steel-framed, aluminum curtainwall structure was the
tallest building in Seattle and the Northwest at the time. As with the branch banks that preceded it, the
downtown bank provided on-site parking and contemporary services within a Modern style building.
The subject bank building also provided parking and services of a drive-up teller. In comparison with the
earlier branch facilities by Holmes or Maloney, it appears more typical in its use of materials, massing,
and spatial qualities.
The Original Designer, Architects Sullam and Aehle, Seattle
Original 1967 drawings on file at DPD identify the Seattle firm of Sullam and Aehle as designers of the
Broadway Branch Seattle-First National Bank. Their work, however, was preceded by site planning by
the Banks’ Building Management Department in 1966.
Norman Sullam and Maurice Aehle are not well-knows practitioners in the region, although AIA records
indicate they worked in a partnership from 1959 to 1969, when it became successor firm Sullam, Smith
and Associates. Drawings note that Sullam and Aehle designed the terrace and landscaping as well as the
bank building. A local structural engineering firm, Victor O. Gray, was responsible for the bank’s
structural design. The interior layout and design of the bank fixtures and furniture was by the Building
Management Department of Seattle-First National Bank.
Architect Norman G. (George) Aehle's March 30, 1950 application for a Washington State license noted
that he was born in Chicago on July 21, 1923. He went J.G. Blain Common School and graduated from
Lane Tech High School in Chicago. Aehle moved to Seattle from Albuquerque—where he had been
stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base during World War II—to attend the University of Washington from
1946-50. Aehle noted on his license application that he then had "no practical experience in architecture
[but had] accumulated about two and one half years in the bldg. trades as a laborer and carpenter’s
apprentice." He expected to graduate from the UW in 1951. (Washington State Archives, Box 1, License
No. 538.) A record from the University of Washington’s Architecture Department confirms that Aehle
received a degree from that institution in 1951. This degree followed his receipt of an architectural
license from the State of Washington on July 6, 1950. At that time Aehle was a resident of Ballard, at
6247 1st Avenue NW.
Architect Maurice Sullam was born on February 6, 1923 and died in early June 2008. In his January 15,
1951 state license application, he noted that he was born in New York City on February 6, 1923. He
graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1941 and from the Cooper Union for the
Advancement of Arts and Science, where he studied from 1941 to 1948. His application noted that in
early 1951 he was employed as a draftsman-designer for Skidmore Owings and Merrill Architects (SOM),
with a business address at the Frederick and Nelson Department Store at 5th Avenue and Pine Street. At
that time Sullam resided at 302 19th Avenue South in Seattle’s Central District. Sullam was a long term
member of the Seattle AIA, and served as a member of the Board of Directors in 1979-80, and
subsequently on its Emeritus Board. (Washington State Regional Archives, Box 24, License No. 649)
According to available records from the websites of their public clients and the State DAHP, Sullam and
Aehle focused on school projects. In addition to remodel projects on the campuses of the University of
Washington (Eagleson Hall, 1965) and Central Washington University (Edison Hall Study, 1985), the
architects had long term associations with the Green River Community College, where they produced
campus and individual building master plans in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and with the Kent School
District.
Schools they designed for the Kent School District included the 50,586-square-foot Youngs Elementary
School (1965); the 39,762-square-foot District Administration Building (1966); the 48,989-square-foot
Pine Tree Elementary School (1967); and Meeker Middle School (1970), a 109,670-square-foot
building. Each of these buildings is a single-story suburban facility, set on a large site with large front
parking lots. The two elementary schools feather classrooms in non-parallel linear rows with central
courtyards and separate office and gym/lunchroom buildings. They have expressive structural framing,
although by 1970 the middle school utilized massive glu-lam beams and a closer integration of building
with surrounding landscaping in courtyard groupings.
One source also cites Sullam and Aehle as architects for Tillicum Village on Blake Island (1961-62),
though this has not been confirmed. Blake Island is a 476-acre Washington State Park located in Puget
Sound, approximately eight miles from downtown Seattle.
The 1970 AIA directory cites the following projects as "principal works" of Maurice Sullam: Apartment
Building for Neil MacKinnon (1968); Everett Yacht Club (1968); State Reformatory Chapel (1969),
Monroe; Thorndyke Elementary School (1969), Tukwila; and Maywood Jr. High School (1969),
Issaquah.
Construction of the Building and Prior Buildings on the Site
The subject building was designed in 1967, according to drawings on file at DPD. Construction was
completed and the bank opened in 1969. A note on the tax assessor’s property record card notes that the
low bid for construction was $367,736, although this figure has not been validated by other records.
Prior to the bank's construction, there were three older buildings on the site at the northwest corner of
the block:
 A two-story, 70’ by 40’ mixed-use building with four apartments above retail shops on the south
40’ of Lot 5, at 224-225 Broadway. Constructed originally in 1905, the wood-framed building
contained the Carnation laundry, a key shop, and Warren Cleaners, as well as a small grocery
store in the 1930s.
 A one-story, wood-framed building, dating from 1910, at 228-230 Broadway Avenue North.
This 24’ by 54’ structure was located on portions of lots 5 and 6, and in the 1930s contained a
cafe, the Fox Dining-Lunch-Delicatessen, and Broadway Renewing, a shoe repair business. A
short-lived occupant around this time in one small retail space was a branch of the Seattle Public
Library.
 Another two-story, mixed-use building at 232-234 Broadway Avenue East at the far north end of
the block. This structure was constructed over a period of decades with a series of additions.
Photos from the tax records suggest that it originally may have been a two-story Classic Box style
dwelling with a hipped roof; the record indicates it was built in 1905. This structure was
transformed by a parapet and new primary façade and other additions into a mixed-use structure
with two stores at grade and dwellings above. For some time it was known as the Red and White
Quality Market and Moore’s Grocery. A later occupant was a fast-food restaurant, Pizza Pete’s.
The 4,600-square-foot building had a 25’-wide street frontage on the west, a 91’-wide north
façade, and a stepped south façade. A paved, 48’ x 55’ parking lot was east of the building.
(DPD permit #468451 of August 15, 1958 allowed the addition of tubular signage displays for
Pizza Pete.)
In 1938 the buildings at 228-230 and 232-234 were re-clad with the same type of Johns Mansville
composite shakes. All three of these former buildings were identified on the property record card as
having fair to poor quality construction. Archie Moore was identified as the property owner of all three
as of 1932. Other owners acquired the properties in subsequent decades. All three properties were
purchased by Seattle-First Bank in the early 1960s and assembled into one legal parcel. The buildings
were demolished in 1966 to make space for the new bank.
4. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION
The Urban Context and Site
The Broadway Avenue Bank of America branch is located at the intersection of East Thomas Street, near
the center of the nine-block strip of retail and services businesses that make up the Broadway Avenue
commercial district of Seattle’s Capitol Hill. This district stretches north from Pike Street, which is five
blocks south of the subject property, to Roy Street, which is four blocks north of it. The east side of
subject block contains small commercial and retail structures and a five-story apartment building.
The subject site is an irregularly-shaped parcel on the southeast corner of the intersection of Broadway
Avenue East and East Thomas Street. It is comprised of Lots 5, 6, 9, 10, and parts of Lots 7 and 8, Block
51. Portions of the site extend the full depth of the block between Broadway and 10th Avenue East.
(Two former single-family residences are situated at the northeast corner of the block at 909 and 925 East
Thomas Street. They are on separate legal parcels and not associated with the bank.)
The bank building measures approximately 76’ by 92’ on its outermost walls, with a total footprint of
6,095 square feet. The total building area of 12,276 square feet includes the 6,139-square-foot basement
and a separate 84-square-foot drive-up teller booth. The booth is no longer in use.
An early site plan, dated 1966, indicates that the bank site was an L-shaped parcel at the north end of the
block, with overall dimensions of 120’ on the west, 176’ on the north, and 80’ on the far east, with a 40’-
deep setback at the southeast corner. King County Assessor Records and a November 2009 survey
indicate that the site is a more complex shape and a larger parcel, which includes the additional parking
lot area to the southeast that fronts onto 10th Avenue East.
A terrace is placed on the south side of the bank, between it and the neighboring building at 220
Broadway Avenue East. The approximately 25’ by 92’ terrace is level with the building’s main floor and
the Broadway Avenue sidewalk, and is linked to the back parking lot by a ramp, which extends 29.5’
further east along the south property line to access the back parking lot. The building’s designers,
Architects Sullam and Aehle, designed the terrace, which is characterized by a complex paving pattern of
varied concrete aggregate and bricks, built-in concrete benches, planting beds, and a central raised planter
aligned with the center recess in the building’s south façade.
The building is setback 3’ to 5’ from the west property line and approximately 11’ from the north
property line. The topography of the 320’-deep portion of the site that contains the bank building slopes
continuously up from the east to the west approximately 6’. Approximately 4’ of the grade change is
accommodated by the ramp and stairs that link the parking lot to the raised terrace on the south side of
the building. Upper walls of the basement level are exposed on the east façade.
The parking lot associated with the bank originally consisted of two areas. The initial one shown in the
1966 site plan featured three separate vehicle driveways off East Thomas Street on the northeast portion
of the site, directly behind the bank. This area provided diagonal stalls for a dozen cars, although its
layout was later modified to accommodate a drive-up teller booth. Southeast of this lot there was another
parking area that became part of the bank’s present legal parcel. It was situated behind the buildings
addressed as 220 and 222 Broadway Avenue East. The secondary parking area contained an additional
44 parking stalls and two driveways off 10th Avenue East.
The original site plans from 1966 called for a screened landscape buffer along the east edge of the smaller
parking lot and a partial screen of concrete block along the north edge. A detail on a 1977 drawing
indicates a revision with the exterior screen walls made of approximately 4’ by 6.5’ pre-cast rectangular
panels with radiused corners set between 4”x6” posts. Exterior recesses surrounding the building on the
north and east were filled with raised or level planters and landscaping of bushes, groundcovers, and turf.
Trees are also located in the planting strip along East Thomas Street on the north side of the bank.
The Bank Building
The building mass is largely rectangular, with overall dimensions of approximately 92’ by 76’. It is made
up by eleven 8’-2”-wide structural bays, defined by 4”x26” glue-laminated beams, running the full
76’north-south dimension, which support the flat roof. Wall planes at the corners project 8’ to 9’, and
24.5’ to 30’ wide to create a central recess in each of the four façades. Façades are finished with an
aggregate-textured exterior stucco.
This plan shape corresponds generally to the interior volume, which is an open clear span space. This
interior is divided into three spaces, identified as such by their varied ceiling heights, low walls, furniture,
and fixtures. A 20’-wide, 14’-tall central lobby extends from the main west entry doors to the glazed
center section of the east wall. On either side there are 20’-wide and 11.5’-tall, open service spaces that
contain teller windows and bankers’ desks behind low, plastic-laminate partitions. Visibility is
emphasized in this central part of the floor plan. Each of the four corners, in contrast, contains enclosed
rooms with varied functions. In the northeast corner there is a stair to the basement and a teller window,
and in the southeast another stair and a loading space accessible from. In the northwest corner there are
two vaults, and in the southwest corner there are several offices and conference rooms.
The main roof of the building is flat. A lower flat roof section projects approximately 4’ beyond the
exterior wall planes. This overhang is detailed with a heavy, 2’-tall, fascia edge clad with wide metal ribs.
The roof plane is set approximately 3’ above the upper fascia edge to provide an attic space for ducting
and other systems above the flat ceiling and below the glue-laminated roof beams. The structure consists
of glue-laminated roof beams, supported on concrete block and concrete walls, and reinforced concrete
slabs and foundations. Structural drawings indicate vault areas were encased by 12”-wide slabs.
The composition of exterior façades varies. The primary west façade and portions of the north and south
façades feature stone veneer cladding in 8’ wide panels interrupted by tall, fixed, 3.75’ by 9’ plate glass
windows. These windows are set in pairs within 8’-wide bays in the 40’-wide central recesses of the north
and south walls, with glazing sills set consistently at a 2.5’ height. The stone-clad wall was carried into
the interior an additional 8’, in an effort to link the exterior and interior. Stucco cladding within a
pattern of control joints is used on the back (east) façade. All façades featured bands of clerestory
windows, each approximately 3.75’ square, set above the cladding.
The design drawings also show an aluminum-framed, pendant-mounted clock on the building’s primary
west elevation. The main building entry is situated in the central recess on this elevation. This entry is
distinguished by its symmetrical location and formality. A secondary public entry is near the east end of
the south elevation, accessed via the terrace. A back door near the south end of the east elevation led to
the internal loading space. Entered at a landing level, it led to stairs to the basement and the main floor.
(The basement is approximately 10.7’ below the main floor level, and 5’ below the back door entry.)
As previously noted, ceiling heights vary on the main floor to form a hierarchy of public and semi-private
or service spaces, from 14’ in the tall central lobby to 11.5’ in the east and west side areas. Original
finishes, noted on the tax record card and original plans, included carpeting and terrazzo flooring,
acoustic tile ceilings with large fluorescent light panels, and painted plaster and gypsum wallboard walls
and ceilings. Overhanging roof soffits had a plaster finish and were fitted with light fixtures.
Within the bank, 7’-6”-tall, flush wood doors were typical, while flush metal types were used for exterior
service doors. The pair of anodized aluminum-framed entry doors were distinguished by their full
glazing, heavy details, and hardwood trim. Interior window trim was also hardwood, while the exterior
jambs and sill were clad with aluminum.
The drive-up teller booth does not appear on the original design and permit drawings, but rather on a
separate drawing dated 17 August 1967. This drawing also shows the flat roof extension that sheltered
the driveways and drive-up booth. This secondary roof extends horizontally from the main building at
the sill level of the clerestory windows. The internal and external drive-up booths and the overhead roof
remain in place, but their teller service functions have ceased. Drive-through services were provided
originally for customer convenience. They have been eliminated, while newer services are provided by the
automated-teller-machine (ATM) in the bank lobby as well as on the primary west façade, and by online
banking.
Changes over Time
The subject building was designed in 1967, according to drawings on file at DPD and construction was
completed and the bank opened in 1969. Records at DPD indicate the following work on the site:
Permit #522655 May 18, 1967 Construct Bank for Seattle-First National
230 Broadway (construction permit set)
Sullam & Aehle Architects
Permit #573106 October 25, 1977 Alter Interior of Existing Building, TB;
Broadway Branch, Partition Detail / Tray Details
Seattle First National Bank (design date 1/26/77)
Permit #S-17965 December 1995 Seafirst Signage
The 1977 interior changes were made to provide additional power, phone, and alarm, along with a walk-
up teller windows and merchants' teller cage on the south side of the interior.
Additional visible changes include insertion of two ATMs in the primary west façade. On the interior, a
full-height plexi-glass screen has been installed between the tellers and the banking hall.
5. BIBLIOGRAPHY
American Institute of Architects, AIA Historical Directory of American Architects.

http://www.aia.org/about/history/aiab082017.
Architectural Forum. "Fish-Bowl Bank for Drive-in Customers." February 1953.
Architectural Record:
"Drive-ins: Banks, Theaters, Restaurants." August 1950.
"What Bankers Want of Their Buildings." March 1945, p. 88-90.
"The Bankoscope"” (staff newsletter of the Seattle-First National Bank), June 1960.
Berner, Richard C. Seattle Transformed: World War II to the Cold War. Seattle: Charles Press, 1999.
BOLA Architecture + Planning. "Seattle-First National Bank / Bank of America, 6th and Denny
Branch." Landmark Nomination, August 2006.
Bush, Roed & Hitchings, Inc. "Topographic and Boundary Land Survey, SRM Development LLC, 224
Broadway East and Adjacent Properties." November 11, 2009.
City of Seattle:
Department of Neighborhoods, Historic Preservation Program, Historical Site Inventory database.
Department of Planning and Development, Microfilm Library, permit records and drawings.
King County Parcel Viewer website. http://www5.metrokc.gov/parcelviewer/viewer.
King County Tax Assessor's Records for 224 Broadway Avenue East (Tax Parcel No. 6003501265), 200
Broadway Avenue East (Parcel No. 6003501225), and 925 East Thomas Street (Parcel No.
6003501280), available at Puget Sound Regional Archives, Bellevue Community College.
Kroll Map Company Inc. "Kroll Maps of Seattle." Seattle: 1912–1920, 1940–1960, and ca. 2000.
Marple, Elliot and Bruce H. Olson. The National Bank of Commerce: 1889 - 1969. Palo Alto: Pacific
Books, 1972.
Nyberg, Folke, and Victor Steinbrueck. Capitol Hill: An Inventory of Buildings and Urban Design
Resources. Seattle: Historic Seattle, 1975.
Progressive Architecture.
"Bank Planning." October 1952.
June 1953.
Scates, Shelby. Firstbank: The Story of Seattle-First National Bank. Seattle: North Pacific Bank Note
Company, 1970.
Seattle Public Library Special Collections. Uncatalogued newspaper clippings, Seattle banks.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
"The City's First Bank." Northwest magazine, December 28, 1980, p. 28.
"Bank Evolution." April 13, 1992, n.p.
Seattle Times:
"Four Seattle Banks Noted Among 300 Largest in Nation." January 26, 1939.
"City's First Bank Opened 75 Years Ago." Sunday magazine, July 8, 1945.
"Six Washington Banks Qualify For 'Big' List." February 13, 1949.
"Two Banks Tell Plans For Branches." June 18, 1954.
"Big Mergers Are Redrawing Map of Northwest Banking." May 21, 1987.
Warren, James R. A Century of Seattle Businesses, 1889 - 1989. Bellevue: Washington: Vernon Publishing
Company, 1989.
Washington State Archives, Box 24 in “WA State Artist, Architect & Builders File, Box 1, License No.
538 (Aehle), and Box 24, License No. 649 (Sullam), provided by the Washington State Dept. of
Licensing, Mortuary, Funeral and Design Division.
Digital Resources
City of Seattle Municipal Archives, Digital Photograph Collection.

http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~public/phot1.htm
Dorpat, Paul. “Capitol Hill – Thumbnail History,” Essay No. 3188, in HistoryLink, the Online
Encyclopedia of Washington State History, May 7, 2001. www.historylink.org
Green River Community College, Building History. http://www.greenriver.edu/MasterPlan/History.htm
Kent School District, Building Histories.

http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/KSD/FP/sitesinfo/SiteHistoryViewer.aspx?site=ly
University of Washington, Building Histories. http://www.washington.edu/admin/pb/home/pdf/UW-

Buildings-History.pdf
6. MAPS AND IMAGES

Note: Some images in this report have been selected from cited sources and repositories. Many of these are copyrighted
and are used with strict permission for use in this document only. Copyright holders do not permit reproduction or
reuse for any other purpose.
Three composite excerpts from Kroll maps show the

neighborhood context and how it changed over time.
The site of the subject property is highlighted in red
in all maps. Also in each map, every structure on the
surrounding blocks has been filled in with black to
demonstrate the shifts in building number, scale, and
density throughout the years.
Top: A figure-ground study developed from an

excerpt of a 1912-1920 map. (Kroll Map Company.)
Below left, a similar study from a 1940-1960 map.

(Kroll Map Company.)
Below right, a similar study from a ca. 2000 Kroll

map (Kroll Map Company.)
A view looking north from Thomas Street, slightly north of the subject property, 1934.
(Seattle Municipal Archives, item no. 8760.)
Earlier structures on the subject property were demolished in 1966 to make way for the new bank building:
Top: A 1939 photo of the

former building at 232-234
Broadway Avenue East,
which dated from 1905.
Middle: The same building

in a 1958 photo.
Bottom: A view of the back

(east) and north façades of
the former building at 232-
234 Broadway Avenue
East, in 1952.
(All photos, Puget Sound

Regional Archives.)
Current site plan; north is to the left. (BOLA Architecture + Planning.)

Current aerial, with the property outlined in red. (Google Maps, December 2010.)
Two King County tax assessor photos show the bank building in February 1968, soon after it was completed. A view
looking across Broadway Avenue East, at the primary west façade (top photo); and a view looking southwest, showing a
portion of the north façade and the drive-through teller booth (bottom photo). (Puget Sound Regional Archives, both
photos.)
Diagrammatic floor plans are shown on this

supplement sheet. A note on the sheet indicates
the low bid for the construction was $367,736.
Above, the Assessor’s Property Record Card for the parking lot behind, to the east of the bank.
Unless otherwise noted, current photos are by BOLA Architecture + Planning and date from December
2010.
Three context views:
Top: Looking southeast

along Broadway Avenue
East from East Thomas
Street. The subject building
is in the foreground at the
left side of the photo.
Middle: Looking north

along Broadway Avenue
East. The subject building
is to the right in the photo.
Bottom: Looking northeast

along Broadway Ave East.
The subject building is in
the background at the north
end of the block. (2009)
Context view, looking southeast from East Thomas Street near the northeast corner of the subject
property, toward remaining former residences at 909 and 925 East Thomas Street.
Context view from the northeast corner of the subject property, looking northeast across East
Thomas Street. 10th Avenue East and surrounding residences are also visible in this photo.
A composite view looking northwest across Broadway Avenue East, at the subject building and site. (2009)
A composite view looking east at the west façade. (2009)

A view looking north, showing the west façade and the western portion of the south façade.
Looking southeast along the primary west façade.

A closer view at the main entry, primary west façade.
Detail view at the upper portion of the primary west façade, showing stone cladding, strip of
clerestory windows, and the roof overhang with broad metal edge.
Looking northeast across the terrace at the south façade.
View looking north-northwest, showing the east (rear) side of the building as well as the ramp that
comes down from the terrace to the parking lot behind the bank.
A view looking northwest at the east façade, which is a simpler, secondary façade has no stone veneer
cladding. (2009)
View looking northwest toward the east (rear) façade, also showing the decommissioned drive-
through that projects from the façade.
Above, an oblique view looking southwest at the north façade. (2009)
A view looking west at the north façade of the bank with a portion of the roof area over the drive-up
teller booth. (2009)
View looking east along the north (East Thomas Street) façade.
Interior view looking northwest toward the main entry, showing the stucco-clad wall (far left) and
stone-clad walls (right) that seem to penetrate the façade. (Courtesy of Cushman & Wakefield.)
Three more interior views (courtesy of

Cushman & Wakefield) show:
Top: Looking east in the main space,

showing the teller windows along the north
side.
Middle: Looking north at the east end of the

interior, showing one of the enclosed corner
areas.
Bottom: Looking southwest in the banking

space.
Above, a sheet from the original design drawings for the Seattle-First National Bank. The site is identified in yellow,
while the building footprint is left uncolored. Additional drawings from this set of drawings, by Sullam and Aehle,
appear on the following pages. North is oriented to the right on these sheets.
The building elevations.

A later drawing dated 17 August 1967 shows plans, elevations, and details of the drive-through teller booths.
Other Projects by Architects Sullam & Aehle
Lake Youngs Elementary (1965)

19660 142nd Avenue SE, Kent
The classroom facilities at this school and

at Pine Tree Elementary (also by Sullam
and Aehle) are arranged in two
unusually-shaped rows—joined at the
ends and with two interior courtyards.
They have separate administrative office
and gym buildings.
Kent School District Administration Building

(1966) at 12033 SE 256th Street, Kent
In contrast to the elementary schools, this one-

and two-story office building complex is a
simple, straightforward geometric plan.
Façades feature ill-proportioned deep
overhangs and tall roof fascia.
Pine Tree Elementary (1967)

2785 118th Avenue SE, Kent
Meeker Middle School (1970)

12600 SE 192nd Street, Renton
The cluster of low-rise buildings is

characterized by the deep overhanging
roofs of the classroom structures,
exposed glu-lam beams, and mature
landscaping.
Tillicum Village (1961-62), Blake Island. (Photograph by Jim Nieland.)

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Landmark Nomination

Seattle-First National Bank / Bank of America, Capitol Hill Branch

BOLA Architecture + Planning

December 22, 2010

BOLA Architecture + Planning

Year built: 1968

Street and number: 224 Broadway Avenue East

Assessor's file no.: 6003501265

Present owner: RDMSRMB230 LLC Present use: Bank

Original owner: Seattle-First National Bank Original use: Bank

Architect: Sullam and Aehle

SEE ATTACHED for physical description, statement of significance, and photographs

Submitted by: Andy Loos, SRM Development

Date: December 22, 2010

Reviewed (historic preservation officer): Date:

 Publications and pamphlets on Seattle-First National Bank/Bank of America

Local and National Landmarks

1) Submission of a nomination and its review and approval by the Board,

2) A designation by the Board, and

Seattle's Landmarks Criteria

Criterion E. It is an outstanding work of a designer or builder.

Original Names: Seattle-First National Bank, Capitol Hill Branch

Current Address: 224 Broadway Avenue East, Seattle, WA 98102

(Historically the bank property was identified as 230 Broadway Avenue

Date of Construction: 1968 (design date, 1966-1967)

Original Designer: Sullam and Aehle Architects, Seattle

Tax ID Number: 6003501265

Site Area: 39,680 sf / 0.91 acres (King County Parcel Viewer)

Building Size: 12,276 sf (King County Parcel Viewer)

Original Owner: Seattle-First National Bank

Current Owner: RDMSRMB230 LLC

Owner's Rep: Andy Loos, Development Manager

Development of Capitol Hill and the Broadway Commercial District

Historical Overview of the Seattle-First National Bank / Bank of America

Emergence of the Post-War Bank

The Seattle-First National Bank in the Post-War Era

The Original Designer, Architects Sullam and Aehle, Seattle

Construction of the Building and Prior Buildings on the Site

The Urban Context and Site

The Bank Building

Changes over Time

Permit #S-17965 December 1995 Seafirst Signage

American Institute of Architects, AIA Historical Directory of American Architects.

Architectural Forum. "Fish-Bowl Bank for Drive-in Customers." February 1953.

King County Parcel Viewer website. http://www5.metrokc.gov/parcelviewer/viewer.

City of Seattle Municipal Archives, Digital Photograph Collection.

Green River Community College, Building History. http://www.greenriver.edu/MasterPlan/History.htm

Kent School District, Building Histories.

University of Washington, Building Histories. http://www.washington.edu/admin/pb/home/pdf/UW-

6. MAPS AND IMAGES

Three composite excerpts from Kroll maps show the

Top: A figure-ground study developed from an

Below left, a similar study from a 1940-1960 map.

Below right, a similar study from a ca. 2000 Kroll

Top: A 1939 photo of the

Middle: The same building

Bottom: A view of the back

(All photos, Puget Sound

Current site plan; north is to the left. (BOLA Architecture + Planning.)

Diagrammatic floor plans are shown on this

Three context views:

Top: Looking southeast

Middle: Looking north