Rector Hotel
historic place
The Rector Hotel, a historic place at the southwest corner of Third Avenue and Cherry Street in downtown Seattle, Washington, began construction in 1911. It officially opened in May of 1913. Designed by architect John Graham, Sr., the building was initially planned for twelve stories, though only six were completed. Built by the estate of pioneer lumber baron Amos Brown, the hotel served the tourist trade and patrons of the adjacent Grand Seattle Opera House. Over the years, it was also known as the St. Charles Hotel and, briefly in the 1930s, the Governor Hotel. By the 1970s, it became a single-room occupancy hotel. In 1986, the Plymouth Housing Group renovated it into low-income housing, a function it continues today. The Rector Hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. A historical marker, erected in 2004, notes its original purpose and historic designations. This site is significant for its contribution to Seattle's early 20th-century commercial expansion.