Smith Tower is an icon in Seattle’s downtown landscape. At 112 years old, the building is full of stories. As a history nerd with an insatiable desire for ancient gossip, I’m here with another dive into the archives for 5 tidbits from 1914’s tallest building west of the Mississippi.
1. One of the tallest buildings in the country:
Smith Tower was completed in 1914 and when it opened it was one of the tallest buildings in the country outside of New York. At 462-feet tall, it quickly lost its ‘tallest’ designation as skyscrapers were built further and further west. According to HistoryLink, “By 1923 it was the tallest west of Chicago, by 1931 the tallest west of Kansas City, and by 1943 the tallest west of Dallas, but it did remain the tallest building west of the Rockies for nearly half a century.” Somewhat hilariously, it was designed by an architecture firm called, I kid you not, Gaggin & Gaggin.
Whether or not Smith Tower is actually 42 stories tall is a big topic of debate, with a dedicated section on HistoryLink. (Sam J. Leeds / City Cast Seattle)
2. A poetry showdown for the rainbow salmon:
A famous Seattleite watched the building go up as a boy and in 1976 he bought the tower for $1.8 million. That boy was Ivar Haglund, of ‘acres of clams’ fame. Ivar bought a 16-foot salmon-shaped windsock, which he called the “Rainbow Salmon” and flew it from the tower’s flagpole. The city told Ivar he was violating municipal code, but because Ivar was known for writing in verse, the Superintendent of Buildings, Alfred Petty, sent a poem in addition to the official violation letter. That poem was leaked to the press and pretty soon the whole city was weighing in with poems of their own. One person wrote:
We know that you must do your job,
But don't be petty, Petty!
What matter if the salmon flies
From building or from jetty?
The city eventually granted Ivar a variance (also in verse) and the flag was allowed to stay. After he died in 1985, the salmon banner was flown at half-mast.
3. Smith Tower’s penthouse apartment:
Just below the rainbow salmon, the triangle structure at the top of Smith Tower has an apartment inside it. Originally, it was a small cramped unit next to the building’s water tower. During Ivar’s ownership, legend has it, a group of artists took turns living there, passing the key between each other for around $300 a month. By the ‘90s it had fallen into disrepair. Then, a Venture Capitalist named Petra Franklin set her sights on the space. In 1997 she pitched its new owners on remodeling it in exchange for a 20 year lease. She raised her two daughters there and often hosted salons with music, academic talks or other community gatherings.
4. The Submarine Room:
The penthouse wasn’t the only place people partied in the building. The tower’s basement had a speakeasy-style bar which started out as a gangster club. But when they got busted in 1970, a young performer who was a member of Ze Whiz Kids turned the Submarine Room into a cabaret and drag bar.
HistoryLink describes the Submarine Room as “a lesbian bar that drew customers from the broader LGBTQ+ community, the Submarine Room was reportedly ‘so dark you couldn’t see.’” (Sam J. Leeds / City Cast Seattle)
5. A classic Seattle story:
When Petra’s 20-year lease was up and building ownership changed hands again, the space was given another remodel. In 2021 it went back on the market. It’s currently being rented by the CEO of a credit score checking company for $13,750 a month.
Now that’s a Seattle story if I’ve ever heard one. To watch the Into The Archives video about Smith Tower visit us on Instagram.
