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Flatiron Building (Bellingham, Washington)
Encyclopedia
The Hamilton Building also known as The Flatiron Building of Bellingham was the first "skyscraper" in Bellingham. Built in 1908 for Talifero Simpson Hamilton's growing Bellingham Bay (B.B.) Furniture Company established in 1889, the building cost $100,000 and used thirty-five thousand barrels of cement along with 200,000 pounds of steel. Due to its triangular shape and resemblance to the Fuller Building
in New York, the building instantly garnered the flatiron nickname. It was Bellingham's tallest structure until 1926.
on the sight, it was speculated that the building would not be built very soon.
In April 1907, the Bellingham Herald announced that the Bellingham Bay Furniture Company, owned by T.S. Hamilton, had purchased the block for $15,000 cash and were rushing plans for the construction of the city's first skyscraper. Soon after the purchase, they dropped Teague's design in favor of one drawn by Frank C. Burns. These plans were for a largely unadorned seven-story building of all reinforced concrete
crowned with false chimneys and a large wooden cornice
(now gone). To maximize floor space, large pivoting windows would cover all sides of the building, eliminating the need for a lightwell
in the middle of the building. Two elevator
s, one for passengers and one for freight were included in the plans. Despite the buildings' size, it would actually only be 4000 square feet (371.6 m²) larger than the company's previous quarters at Holly and Bay Streets.
Bids were let for the Flatiron building, at the time known as the Hamilton Block, in June 1907. Booker & Campbell won the bid for general construction while Baumaster would handle woodworking. The contract specified that the first six stories were to be completed by January 1, 1908 with a seventh floor to be added later. The structure of the building was to be built sturdy enough to support another four floors if ever needed. Construction was almost brought to a halt by the Panic of 1907
, which caused the delay of many construction projects in Bellingham and pushed construction of the building past the January 1st deadline. Contractors rushed to finish the building, canceling plans for any additional floors. The building formally opened to the public in May 1908.
on January 27, 1983.
The building received a major remodeling by Christenson Engineering in 1990, and served as the company's headquarters. Christenson was sold to VECO Corporation in 1993, and then VECO was sold to CH2M HILL
in 2007.
On April 1, 2010, Logos Bible Software
signed a long-term lease for the building, which commenced after CH2M HILL's lease expired on August 31, 2010.
Flatiron Building
The Flatiron Building, or Fuller Building, as it was originally called, is located at 175 Fifth Avenue in the borough of Manhattan, New York City and is considered to be a groundbreaking skyscraper. Upon completion in 1902 it was one of the tallest buildings in the city and the only skyscraper...
in New York, the building instantly garnered the flatiron nickname. It was Bellingham's tallest structure until 1926.
Construction
In late 1906, the Bellingham Bay Improvement Company hired architect James C. Teague to draw preliminary plans for a five-story building that would fill their triangular block bound by Champion, Prospect and Bay Streets in downtown Bellingham, a very prime location. It would be a concrete frame building clad in brick with stone at the base. In the original plans, the building would house possibly a bank or other small stores with office space and lodge rooms above but because of litigation involving the property and the construction of a temporary skating rinkIce rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
on the sight, it was speculated that the building would not be built very soon.
In April 1907, the Bellingham Herald announced that the Bellingham Bay Furniture Company, owned by T.S. Hamilton, had purchased the block for $15,000 cash and were rushing plans for the construction of the city's first skyscraper. Soon after the purchase, they dropped Teague's design in favor of one drawn by Frank C. Burns. These plans were for a largely unadorned seven-story building of all reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
crowned with false chimneys and a large wooden cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
(now gone). To maximize floor space, large pivoting windows would cover all sides of the building, eliminating the need for a lightwell
Lightwell
In architecture a lightwell, light well or air shaft is an unroofed external space provided within the volume of a large building to allow light and air to reach what would otherwise be dark or unventilated area...
in the middle of the building. Two elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
s, one for passengers and one for freight were included in the plans. Despite the buildings' size, it would actually only be 4000 square feet (371.6 m²) larger than the company's previous quarters at Holly and Bay Streets.
Bids were let for the Flatiron building, at the time known as the Hamilton Block, in June 1907. Booker & Campbell won the bid for general construction while Baumaster would handle woodworking. The contract specified that the first six stories were to be completed by January 1, 1908 with a seventh floor to be added later. The structure of the building was to be built sturdy enough to support another four floors if ever needed. Construction was almost brought to a halt by the Panic of 1907
Panic of 1907
The Panic of 1907, also known as the 1907 Bankers' Panic, was a financial crisis that occurred in the United States when the New York Stock Exchange fell almost 50% from its peak the previous year. Panic occurred, as this was during a time of economic recession, and there were numerous runs on...
, which caused the delay of many construction projects in Bellingham and pushed construction of the building past the January 1st deadline. Contractors rushed to finish the building, canceling plans for any additional floors. The building formally opened to the public in May 1908.
Fire
On the evening of April 28, 1924, a large fire broke out on the top floor and vented through the roof. However, due to the building's design of concrete and reinforced steel, the structure remained intact. Since 90% of the damage was covered by insurance, reconstruction of the building began shortly afterwards. During reconstruction, Hamilton operated the furniture store across the street, partially under a circus tent. The rebuilding took three years and as a precaution to future fire, an automatic sprinkler system with a rooftop tank was installed, the first of its kind in Bellingham. Another precautionary measure against fire was the relocating of the passenger elevator, the original fire's outlet, to a wall against the freight elevator so it could be contained easier. Another major change after the fire was that the second floor mezzanine was rebuilt as a full second story. When the building reopened, it had become seven stories tall without adding to its overall height.Current
The Bellingham Bay Furniture Company, later known as Van's BB Furniture, occupied the building until closing in 1979. It was unoccupied and owned by the City of Bellingham when it was added to the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on January 27, 1983.
The building received a major remodeling by Christenson Engineering in 1990, and served as the company's headquarters. Christenson was sold to VECO Corporation in 1993, and then VECO was sold to CH2M HILL
CH2M Hill
CH2M Hill is an American-based global provider of engineering, construction, and operations services for corporations, nonprofits, and federal, state, and local governments. The firm is headquartered in Meridian, an unincorporated area of Douglas County, Colorado in the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan...
in 2007.
On April 1, 2010, Logos Bible Software
Logos Bible Software
Logos Bible Software is a Bellingham, Washington software company and electronic publisher specializing in Bible study. Their flagship product is Logos Bible Software 4, a bible study software application for Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, iPhone/iPad and Android platforms...
signed a long-term lease for the building, which commenced after CH2M HILL's lease expired on August 31, 2010.