Ghost Signs of Pioneer Square

The Alaska Building
location

South wall.

Right below this one, on the building in the foreground, is a ghost for Wilson Whiskey.

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Black Manufacturing Company
Seattle Quilt Building
318 1st Avenue South

North wall; 5th & 6th floors.

[ detail photos ]

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Buttnik Manufacturing Co / Paul Bunyon
200 1st Avenue South
Washington Street & 1st Avenue

North and West walls; above 2nd & above 3rd floors.

Note that the signs above the 1st floor are painted wood signboards. Note also the ghost on the building behind this one.

[ detail photos ]

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Caldwell Brothers Company
115-119 South Jackson Street
in alley behind building.

South wall; 2nd floor.

This sign is on the same building as the Lowell Bros. Manufacturing Company.

[ detail photos ]

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a can of something
Heritage Building
111 South Jackson Street

East wall; Northeast corner; between 4th & 5th floors.

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Comedy Underground
222 South Main Street

East wall; 2nd & 3rd floors.

[ detail photos ]

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Crescent brand Baking Powder
126 South Jackson Street
in alley north of Jackson

West wall; Southwest corner; 2nd & 3rd floor.

[ detail photos ]

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Damaged building and sign
Palmer Court Building
1000 1st Avenue South

South wall; 6th floor (main sign); 3rd through 5th floors (small sign).

Damaged to the building obviously occured after the sign was painted. Was the damage due to earthquake? fire? ?

Note: This ghost is on the same building as the Owl Cigar sign (see below).

[ detail photos ]

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Duncan and Sons Inc.
315 2nd Avenue South
2nd Avenue, south of Jackson Street.

North wall; 2nd & 3rd floors.

[ detail photos ]

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Duncan and Sons Inc.
541 1st Avenue South

Northe wall; street level.

The detail photos for this sign are excellent, due to it being located at street level.

[ detail photos ]

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_____ Electric Supplies
Seattle Steam Corporation Building
602 Western Avenue North???
Western Avenue, north of Yesler Way

North wall; 4th floor.

This is a fantastic building regardless of the ghost sign.

[ detail photos ]

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_____ Machinery
Globe Office Building
Main Street, east of 1st Avenue

orientation

This building houses the Elliott Bay Book Company. The ghost is on the back side of it, in the alley off of Main.

[ detail photos ]

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Gatzert Hotel
89 Yesler Way

South wall; 1st-4th floors

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At one point, this might have been an Owl Cigars sign.

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J & M Cafe & Card Room and Hotel
201 1st Avenue South
(Washington Street & 1st Avenue)

North wall; street level.
Hotel sign: East wall; 2nd floor.

[ detail photos ]

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L & H Printing Company
Washington Pk. Building
Seattle Publishing Company
68 South Washington Street

This sign faces the Viaduct and the waterfront.

West wall; 3rd floor.

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Lovera Cigars
105 1st Avenue South

North wall; 4th floor.

A palimpsest; there is another sign underneath it.

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Lowell Brothers Company
In alley, south of Jackson Street
between 1st Avenue and Occidental Avenue

West wall; 2nd floor.

[ detail photos ]

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Lyon Building
607 3rd Avenue South
(James Street & 3rd Avenue)

West wall; 6th floor.

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Mutual Life Insurance Company
Mutual Life Building
605 1st Ave North??

South wall; 6th floor.

[ detail photos ]

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O.K. Hotel
___ Alaskan Way

South wall; 5th floor.

The sign reads "1212 R.R. Ave" on the left and "Rooms 35 to 75 ¢" on the right.

[ detail photos ]

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on the Olympic Building
1014 1st Avenue South

North wall; 2nd through 4th floors

There are two signs here: the one at the corner of the building and one spanning from the back of the building to the visible sign. The other one is extremely faded and reads " _____ MINING, MILL, and HYDRAULIC MACHINERY". Check out the detailed photos and see if you can read it.

[ detail photos ]

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Optimus Soda Fountains and Store Fixtures
F.X. McRory Building
419 Occidental Avenue
(King St. & Occidental Avenue)

North wall; 7th & 8th floors.

[ detail photos ]

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Owl Cigars, another one
Prudential Building
114 Alaskan Way South

North wall; 3rd through 5th floor.

[ detail photos ]

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Owl Cigars
Palmer Court Building
1000 1st Avenue South

North wall; 3rd through 6th floors.

There is a smaller sign for another business to the right of the Owl Cigar sign. This is possibly a "privilege sign". The "damaged" sign from above is on the other (south) wall of this building. This folder contains nice detail shots.

[ detail photos ]

( owl_cigars.jpg )

The Alki Rainier Beer Mission
109 South Washington Street
(on Occidental Park)

East wall; street level.

( rainier_beer_mission.jpg )

Seattle Lighing Company; The Lofts
222 2nd Avenue Extension South
(Main Street & 2nd Avenue Extension)

South and East walls; 4th floor.

Notice also the sign for The Lofts

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Seattle Plumbing Supply Company
570 1st Avenue South

South wall, facing southwest; above 1st floor.

Another palimpsest. This sign was painted over with some other sign. The archival photos are excellent.

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Sowles Company
Heritage Building
Jackson Street & 1st Avenue South
in alley between Jackson Street & King Street

South wall; Southeast corner; 2nd floor & 5th floor.

I'm uncertain whether the top and the bottom signs are related.

[ detail photos ]

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Standard Warehouse Company Inc.
1022 1st Avenue South

Facade, West wall; between 3rd & 4th floor.

Palimpsest. The sign underneath is something like "Bass Neuter Tint Co." Apparently, it took highly specialised paint shops to manufacture neutral tints.

[ detail photos ]

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behind the Triangle Pub
533 1st Avenue South
(Railroad Way & Dearborn & 1st Avenue)

North wall; 2nd & 3rd floors.

[ detail photos ]

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Wilson Whiskey ("That's All")

Extremely faded. Note from the archival photo that the windows were added sometime after the sign was painted.

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Windermere Real Eastate
Parking garage south of Commuter Building
809 Western Avenue South
Western & Columbia

South wall; 3rd & 4th floor.

A colorful, bright, shiny, new painted wall sign to make any old wall dog proud! No vile vinyl here!

[ detail photos ]

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Washington State Ferries / Sperry's
Interurban Building
Yesler Way & Occidental Avenue
just north of Washington Street

South wall; 3rd through 6th floors.

Palimpsest. This one is my favorite ghost sign.

[ detail photos ]

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