Frederick & Nelson Building

Frederick & Nelson Building
Exterior of the Frederick & Nelson Building (2004)
Map
Interactive map of the Frederick & Nelson Building area
Alternative names
  • Frederick & Nelson Department Store
  • Nordstrom flagship store
General information
StatusOpen
TypeDepartment store
Architectural styleNeo-Renaissance
Location500 Pine Street, Seattle, Washington, United States
Coordinates47°36′44″N 122°20′11″W / 47.6122937°N 122.3362876°W / 47.6122937; -122.3362876
Current tenantsNordstrom
Named for
  • Donald E. Frederick
  • Nels B. Nelson
Year built1916–1918
Opened
  • September 3, 1918; 107 years ago (1918-09-03) (Frederick & Nelson)
  • September 21, 1998; 27 years ago (1998-09-21) (Nordstrom)
ClosedMay 31, 1992; 34 years ago (1992-05-31) (Frederick & Nelson)
ClientDonald E. Frederick
OwnerNordstrom
Height
Height134 feet (41 m)
Technical details
Floor count12[a]
Floor area383,000 square feet (35,600 m2) of selling space.
Design and construction
ArchitectsJohn Graham, Sr.
Architecture firmJohn Graham & Company
Other information
Public transit access
Website
Nordstrom store information
DesignatedOctober 16, 1996
References
[1]

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.

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]

  • Original exterior before renovation (1918)
    Original exterior before renovation (1918)

Notes

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

References

  1. ^ "Frederick & Nelson Building" (PDF). Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board. October 28, 1996. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  2. ^ van Huygen, Meg (June 28, 2025). "The unassuming Exchange Building holds a shimmering gilt-and-bronze lobby". Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
  3. ^ Wilma, David. "Frederick & Nelson, Seattle's premier department store, goes out of business on May 31, 1992". HistoryLink.org. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  4. ^ "Seattle shopping through the years". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. December 27, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  5. ^ "University of Washington Libraries Digital Collection".[permanent dead link] Downtown Flagship Store
  6. ^ "Nordstrom, Seattle". Emporis. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2022.


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