Seattle Historic Postcard Collection
Preview up to 100 items from this collection below. Highlights of early 20th century Seattle, as depicted through our historic postcards. Cards include images of buildings, attractions and events from the 1900s to the 1960s along with messages between friends and family.
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Plymouth Congregational Church, March 21, 1932
Transcribed from postcard: "Plymouth Congregational Church was founded in 1870 and moved to its third location, depicted here at 6th Avenue and University Street, after construction was completed in 1912." The building was demolished in 1966.
Identifier: spl_pc_00325
Date: 1932-03-21
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Colman Building, ca. 1907
The Colman Building, located at 811 1st Ave., was constructed by James M. Colman (1832-1906) in 1889 and expanded in 1906. Colman was a leading figure in the development of Seattle who was also responsible for the construction of the Colman dock along the waterfront. In 1972, the Colman Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It also received landmark status from the City of Seattle in 1990.
Identifier: spl_pc_00232
Date: 1907?
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City Hall Park, Frye Hotel and Smith Tower, ca. 1915
Street view of City Hall Park, Frye Hotel and Smith Tower. The Frye Hotel was constructed in 1911 and designed by the architects Charles H. Bebb and Louis L. Mendel. The project was funded by Seattle pioneer George F. Frye and his wife Louisa Frye (originally of the Denny family). The hotel was converted to low income housing in the 1970s. Smith Tower was constructed in 1912 under the supervision of the architecture firm Gaggin and Gaggin. It was the tallest building in Seattle until the construction of the Space Needle in 1962.
Identifier: spl_pc_00219
Date: 1915?
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St. James Cathedral, ca. 1907
Bishop Edward O'Dea purchased the land for St. James Cathedral's First Hill site in 1903 after successfully petitioning the Pope to relocate the episcopal see from Vancouver, Washington to Seattle. The cornerstone for the building was laid in 1905 with more than 5,000 people in attendance and the cathedral officially opened on December 15, 1907.
Identifier: spl_pc_00304
Date: 1907?
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Federal Building at 3rd Ave. and Union St., ca. 1909
Street view of the Federal Building in downtown Seattle (also known as the U.S. Court House, Custom House and Post Office Building). Construction on the Federal Building began in 1903 and ended in 1908. The building was located at the intersection of Union Street and Third Avenue, which was being regraded at the time. The Third Avenue regrade left a gap of four feet down to the new sidewalk which resulted in a new set of stairs being added to the building's exterior. The building was demolished in 1958.
Identifier: spl_pc_00410
Date: 1909?
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St. James Cathedral, ca. 1909
Transcribed from postcard: "St. James Cathedral. One of the most imposing and costly sacred edifices west of New York. The towers can be seen from any part of the city."
Identifier: spl_pc_00301
Date: 1909?
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King County Courthouse, ca, 1905
View of the second King County Courthouse, built in 1890 and torn down in the 1930s, which was located at 7th Ave. and Alder St.. A new King County Courthouse was constructed in 1917 on 3rd Ave. in order to be closer to the business district.
Identifier: spl_pc_00400
Date: 1905?
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Hotel Perry, 1909
Located at Madison Street and Boren Avenue, the Perry Hotel, also known as the Perry Apartments, was built in 1907. In 1916, the building was renovated to become the Columbus Sanitarium and renamed once again to Cabrini Hospital in the 1960s. The building was demolished in 1996. Transcribed from postcard: "Hotel Perry, Madison Street at Boren Avenue Seattle, European Plan, Rooms with Bath $2.00 per Day, B.H. Brobst Manager, 1909"
Identifier: spl_pc_00807
Date: 1909
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Providence Hospital, ca. 1911
Between 1907 and 1912, Seattle's Providence Hospital built a large new brick building, at a cost of one million dollars. Designed by Somervell & Cote, it was a full-service hospital with six operating rooms and a nursing school.
Identifier: spl_pc_00904
Date: 1911
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