The Butler Block’s Grand Transformation
A landmark Seattle office building is set to undergo a massive renovation to become the city's premier hotel.
An important commercial transaction has been completed by the signing of a long lease of the Butler block to Hamm & Schmitz, who will conduct it as a hotel. The owner of the building, Henry H. Shufeldt of Chicago, has been in Seattle for several days arranging the terms. It is intended, as soon as the present tenants leave the building, to remodel it as a first-class hotel. The new hotel will be called the Butler, in compliment to Hillory Butler, who formerly owned the site. By the contract, Hamm & Schmitz secure a lease for three years with the privilege of extension for five years more. The hotel is to be run on the European plan. The main entrance will be on Second street, where a life-size bust of Hillory Butler will be placed. On the ground floor, all the offices and halls will be thrown into one large lobby. The upper floors will be refurnished with 125 guest rooms, and one-half of the fifth floor will be fitted up as an assembly hall. Turkish baths will be in the basement.
“The main entrance will be on Second street, where a life-size bust of Hillory Butler, given by himself, will be placed as a tribute to the pioneers.”
The Butler Hotel eventually became a legendary fixture of downtown Seattle, but like many historic structures, it met its end during the city's mid-century urban renewal efforts. Today, the site of the former Butler Building serves as a reminder of how quickly the city’s architectural and social heart can be reshaped by real estate speculation.
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