The Governor’s Grand Brick Block
As Seattle expands, former Washington Territorial Governor Watson C. Squire commissions a massive new downtown commercial building on South Second and Main Streets.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Watson C. Squire has let a contract to John Megrath for the construction of a brick block on the corner of South Second and Main streets, and the work of excavating commenced today. According to the plans and specifications on file in the office of the architect, Mr. H. Steinman, the building will be three stories high above the basement and will be constructed of brick with galvanized iron trimmings. It will have a frontage of 75 feet on South Second street and 120 feet on Main street. On the first floor will be five stores, and each of the upper floors will contain 40 rooms. Mr. Megrath furnishes the material and erects the building for $21,130. The glazing, plumbing and sewerage are not included in this contract, and will bring the cost of the building up to fully $30,000. The grading will be commenced this morning, and the building will be erected in the shortest possible time.
“The grading will be commenced this morning, and the building will be erected in the shortest possible time.”
Watson C. Squire, a former Territorial Governor and U.S. Senator, helped shape the early skyline of Pioneer Square. His investment in commercial-residential density at Second and Main mirrors the constant, rapid churn of downtown development that continues to redefine Seattle's core more than 135 years later.
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