17. Smith Tower

The 42-story Smith Tower was designed by Gaggin & Gaggin for typewriter magnate L.C. Smith, and reigned as the tallest structure west of the Mississippi until completion of the Space Needle in 1962. The Smith Tower's opening on July 4, 1914, truly marked the high point in Pioneer Square's early development, and also the beginning of a long decline as downtown's main business offices and retailers began to migrate north. Rehabilitation of the Smith Tower and its gleaming terra cotta cladding, brass-caged elevators (with attendants), and sumptuous Chinese Room observation level was launched in the mid-1980s by the late restaurateur Ivar Haglund. The building is now owned by the SAMIS Foundation, formed to manage the estate of long-time Pioneer Square landlord Sam Israel, and is in the midst of a major renovation.

Nearby stands an entrance to the King County Metro Transit Tunnel, completed in 1990 between the State Trade & Convention Center on the north and the International District on the south. During excavation of the Pioneer Square station, workers uncovered one of the giant wheels that once guided cable cars up and down Yesler Way between the Square and Leschi Park on the shore of Lake Washington.

A short walk west on Yesler Way will return you to Pioneer Square and complete this little tour. We've only touched on a few of the neighborhood's historical and cultural attractions and encourage you to explore further on your own.

Courtesy: Michael Fairley