Frederick & Nelson Building

The Frederick & Nelson Building is a department store building and landmark on Pine Street in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was designed by the John Graham & Company architecture firm^[2] for Donald E. Frederick, and opened in 1918. It was the flagship store of the Frederick & Nelson department store chain until its bankruptcy and liquidation in 1992.^[3] It has been the flagship store of the Nordstrom department store chain since 1998;^[4] replacing its first store on Fifth Avenue, which opened in 1901.

Frederick & Nelson Building
Exterior of the Frederick & Nelson Building (2004)
Alternative names	Frederick & Nelson Department Store Nordstrom flagship store
General information
Status	Open
Type	Department store
Architectural style	Neo-Renaissance
Location	500 Pine Street, Seattle, Washington, United States
Coordinates	47.6122937°N 122.3362876°W / 47.6122937; -122.3362876
Current tenants	Nordstrom
Named for	Donald E. Frederick Nels B. Nelson
Year(s) built	1916–1918
Opened	September 3, 1918; 106 years ago (1918-09-03) (Frederick & Nelson) September 21, 1998; 26 years ago (1998-09-21) (Nordstrom)
Closed	May 31, 1992; 33 years ago (1992-05-31) (Frederick & Nelson)
Client	Donald E. Frederick
Owner	Nordstrom
Height	134 feet (41 m)
Technical details
Floor count	12[a]
Floor area	383,000 square feet (35,600 m2) of selling space.
Design and construction
Architect(s)	John Graham, Sr.
Architecture firm	John Graham & Company
Other information
Public transit access	Link:  50  Westlake
Website
Nordstrom store information
Seattle Landmark
Designated	October 16, 1996
References
[1]

History

Donald E. Frederick, the remaining business partner of the Frederick & Nelson business, made expansion plans for a new building in downtown Seattle in 1914. The original plans called for the building to be six stories tall with a seventh floor in the basement, however, the foundation was built with the strength to hold ten stories. Even though businessmen and financiers branded the project "Frederick's Folly", his dream was finally realized three decades later. Despite a shortage of building materials that were needed elsewhere to fight World War I, the building opened on September 4, 1918, and hosted over 25,000 customers on opening day.^[5]

Architecture

The building was designed by John Graham & Company in the Neo-Renaissance style.^[6]

Gallery

• 
  Original exterior before renovation (1918)

Notes

1. Floor count includes 10 above-ground floors of selling space and two basement levels.