Amman (Spokane, Washington)

Amman in Spokane, Washington is a building constructed in 1904.[1] It was designed by architect Albert Held. [1] The building was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1987.[1]

Amman
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	W. 1516 Riverside, Spokane, Washington
Coordinates	47°39′25″N 117°26′1″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1904
Architect	Held, Albert
MPS	Apartment Buildings by Albert Held TR
NRHP reference No.	87000086[1]
Added to NRHP	February 12, 1987

History

In 1903, the lot Amman stands on was sold to the Amman Family by the Northwestern and Pacific Hypotheekbank.[1] Construction began by March 1904, when Apartment units in the building were advertised in the local paper, The Spokesman-Review.[1] The building was used as housing until 1985, when it underwent a National Park Service certified rehabilitation turning the apartments into office space.[1] The renovation was done by Wells & Company, a company specializing in certified renovations of old and historic buildings.[2] The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of a thematic group containing San Marco, Breslin and Knickerbocker Apartment Buildings.[1][3]

Description

The two-story building sits on a tree lined street in Browne's Addition, the neighborhood has a uniquely residential feel considering its proximity to the city center.[4] The lot to the west of the building is used for parking.[1] Due to its location, the building offers views of the Spokane River.[1] Of the buildings in the thematic group, the Amman Apartments had the simplest design, with a square footprint rather than the U, H and L shapes of the other apartment buildings built by Held.[1][4] The building design can most easily be described as classical.[1] The apartment units had clear delineation of living and entertainment spaces by use of narrow hallways in order to separate the design from common "railroad" plans.[1] Another unique feature is that all rooms had an exterior view, instead of the common light court of the era.[1] The common hallway features a large curved stairway and access to the balcony above the portico on the second story.[1]

References

1. Nancy Gale Compau and Leonard T. Garfield (July 20, 1986). "National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation: Apartment Buildings by Albert Held Thematic Group".
2. "1516 West Riverside (Amman Apartments)". Wells & Company. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
3. "Apartment Spotlight: The Breslin Apartments". NAI Global. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
4. "Amman Apartment". City - County of Spokane Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved 25 August 2015.