Distant corner : Seattle architects and the legacy of H.H. Richardson

Distant corner examines the brief but powerful influence of H.H. Richardson on the building of Americas? cities, and his specific influence on the architects charged with rebuilding the post-fire city (June 6,1889) of Seattle. Chapters on the pre-fire city and its architecture, the technologies and tools available to designers and builders, and the rise of Richardson and his role in defining a new American architecture provide a context for examining the work of the citys? architects. This book describes the new post-fire commercial core and the emerging network of schools, firehouses, and other public institutions that helped define Seattles? neighborhoods. It closes with the sudden collapse of Seattles? economy in the Panic of 1893 and the ensuing depression that halted the citys? building boom, saw the closing of a number of architects ?offices, and forever ended the dominance of Romanesque Revival in American architecture. The author offers an analysis of both local and national influences that shaped the architecture of the city in the 1880s and 1890s. It has much to offer those interested in Seattles? early history, the building of the city, and the preservation of its architecture.… (more)