The Last Stand of Yesler’s House: Seattle’s First Skyscraper Rises on the Site of a Pioneer Home
In November 1876, King County Commissioners approved the demolition of Henry Yesler’s historic residence to make way for a three-story artificial stone business block, marking the end of an era and the beginning of Seattle's commercial boom.
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.
NEW BUILDING.
We learn that H. L. Yesler, Esq., will soon commence the erection of a large three-story building for business purposes, on the corner of Mill and Front streets, now occupied by his residence. It will be of artificial stone, of the Leathern pattern and three stories in height. The old house has been a landmark for years and afforded its cheery welcome to all his friends who will ever cherish the pleasant "auld lang syne" within its walls. We can afford to let the old house go, but pray that the maples planted by the good old man’s own hand, may be permitted to remain.
This 1876 announcement captures a pivotal moment in Seattle's urbanization: the transition from a frontier town of wooden structures and personal landmarks to a modern city of commercial real estate. Henry Yesler, the "Father of Seattle," was replacing his home with a fire-proof stone building—a rare luxury at the time—signaling that the era of pioneer nostalgia was giving way to the relentless pressure of land value and development.
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