2nd Avenue | East Side (S. Jackson St. – S. Main St.)
This panorama documents a highly historic street front on the western side of 2nd Avenue in Seattle, Washington. Located within the Pioneer Square Preservation District, the featured block extends from South Jackson Street on the left to South Main Street on the right. The three contiguous structures showcase a rich urban narrative of rapid post-disaster reconstruction, early 20th-century commerce, and civic infrastructure.
The Cadillac Hotel (319 2nd Avenue South)
Anchoring the prominent left corner at South Jackson Street, the Cadillac Hotel is a seminal piece of Seattle’s architectural recovery.
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History: Born out of disaster, it was built immediately after the Great Seattle Fire of June 1889, which consumed 25 blocks of the city’s timber-built commercial core. To combat the resulting housing shortage, real estate developer Edward F. Wittler quickly commissioned the building. Completed in just six months by architects Hetherington and Clements and Co., it opened late in 1889 as the Wittler Block (initially operating as the Elliott House).
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Architecture: The building is a three-story, Victorian Italianate structure with a classic red brick facade. Originally offering low-cost rooms for laborers, sailors, and loggers, it officially became the Cadillac Hotel in 1906. Due to its proximity to the waterfront, it served as an unofficial headquarters for thousands of fortune hunters during the Klondike Gold Rush.
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Current Use: Today, it is heavily restored and serves as the permanent home for the National Park Service’s Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, housing a visitor center, interactive exhibits, and a theater. More info on the building.
The Duncan Building (315 2nd Avenue South)
Occupying the center of the panorama is the historic Duncan Building, a three-story masonry and timber structure erected in 1908.
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Architecture & Layout: Designed for the Duncan & Sons Saddlery and Shoe Findings company, it stands out within the Pioneer Square-Skid Road National Historic District for its elegant, unified, and symmetrical facade utilizing light brick and stone trim. It represents a textbook regional example of mixed industrial layout: a ground level dedicated to retail, transitioning to large storefront windows, an open interior stairwell, and upper floors originally utilized for light manufacturing.
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Current Use: The building remains iconic for the replica horse statue mounted on its exterior. Today, its ground floor houses Xtadium, a popular local sports bar and nightclub.
Seattle Fire Department Headquarters (301 2nd Avenue South)
The right side of the block, terminating at the intersection with South Main Street, is occupied by the Seattle Fire Department Headquarters.
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History & Architecture: Completed in 1928, this imposing four-story civic facility functioned for eighty years as both the central administrative headquarters for the department and the active home of Fire Station #10. In stark contrast to the warmer brick tones of the neighboring buildings, the headquarters features a monumental white stone aesthetic typical of the era’s Late Classical and Art Deco civic style.
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Vehicle Bays: Instead of traditional arched gates, the ground floor is defined by a wide, rectangular, and recessed vehicle entrance area that houses multiple flat-topped apparatus bays, optimized for modern fire engines.
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Museum Component: Since July 2008, in conjunction with the Pioneer Square Fire Festival, the facility has integrated a public cultural component. The Last Resort Fire Department moved a significant portion of its historic collection of vintage fire apparatus and artifacts into the building, establishing the Last Resort Fire Department Museum inside the active headquarters.
