Galer Crest Apartments – 1420 - 1428 Queen Anne Ave

Galer Crest Apartments, 1934

The Galer Crest Apartments were built in 1930 by Harry B. McKnight. It is one of the largest pre-World War II apartment buildings on Queen Anne, located in a very prominent position at the crest of the Queen Anne Counterbalance. It is also one of relatively few large mixed-use buildings on Queen Anne from this period. Its presence and size makes clear the importance of this part of Queen Anne as a relatively high density urban community at the end of the 1920s. The first owner was Olaf Johnson. The building has had a service station and, later, an auto repair garage, since it was first built. Other tenants have included a barber, beauty salons, shoe repair and a lending library.

This substantial building rises four stories at the top of the hill, extending 126 feet along the street. It is a solid concrete structure clad with red brick. The building is organized with a wide center section flanked by two narrower sections, each with four bays of windows. The center section has a mansard-type roof clad with red tile, while the side sections have stepped and gabled parapets. Windows throughout are individual 1/1 double-hung wood sash. Top floor windows in the end sections are set in rounded arches clad with tan terra cotta. Between the windows are terra cotta medallions. A belt course runs below the second-floor windows, widening in the center section. A second belt course runs just above the storefronts. The storefronts are largely intact with tile bulkheads, as is the apartment entry at the north end. The apartment entry has cast stone surrounds and wood double doors, with the words “Galer Crest” above it.

Source: Seattle Historical Sites