Architectural drawings of the Crystal Pool building, circa 1990s

Overview of the Collection

Title
Architectural drawings of the Crystal Pool building
Dates
circa 1990s (inclusive)
Quantity
1 project (12 drawings)
Collection Number
PH0833
Summary
Modern dimensioned drawings of the Crystal Pool building at Second Avenue and Lenora Street in downtown Seattle
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public.

Additional Reference Guides

Languages
English

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

Benjamin Marcus Priteca designed this pool for C. D. Stimson to house a heated, saltwater pool as a public recreational facility for the citizens of Seattle. The facility, constructed in 1915, pumped in saltwater from Elliott Bay, heated the water in basement boiler tanks, and chlorinated it for public use. The building featured a neoclassical exterior with terracotta ornamentation of nautical motifs. The interior had a glass ceiling supported by arched steel trusses and tiered spectator seating for 1500. The pool closed in the late 1930s, though the building continued to be used for boxing matches, dances, and roller skating. When the evangelical outreach group Bethel Christian Ministries purchased the natatorium in 1944, they installed permanent flooring over the pool that provided the floor space needed to create a sanctuary for the Bethel Temple. Because it was owned by a religious group, the Seattle Landmarks Board did not have jurisdiction over the building, leaving the building vulnerable to development. The Bethel Temple sold the building to the Murray Franklyn development group and the Crystal Pool building was demolished in 2003 for development into a high-rise condominium tower; some exterior walls were retained along the street level and a modern entrance canopy was added in reference to the original corner dome.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Modern dimensioned drawings of B. Marcus Priteca's Crystal Pool building at the corner of Second Avenue and Lenora Street in downtown Seattle.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions might exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact the repository for details.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Processing Note

Processed by Kelly Daviduke, 2014.

Related Materials

The B. Marcus Priteca Architectural Drawings Collection (PH Coll 1273) contains blueprints for this building under the project name "Natatorium for C. D. Stimson."

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Container(s) Description Dates
tube item
1 1 Architectural drawings
12 drawings : 6 graphite on vellum, 6 electrostatic reproduction on vellum
Modern architectural drawings provide dimensioned plans of the tank floor, main floor, and dressing drooms; exterior elevations; longitudinal and transverse section drawings through the building, revealing the arched trusses; and a section drawing through the dome. Reproduction set is produced in smaller format.
circa 1990s

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Form or Genre Terms

  • Architectural drawings

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)