Union Stables, Seattle
historic place
Union Stables, a historic place in Seattle, Washington, stands at the northeast corner of Western Avenue and Blanchard Street. This four-story, heavy timber and masonry building was constructed in 1909. Designed by George Dietrich for the Benjamin & Maddocks livery business, it housed approximately 300 to 400 working horses. These horses pulled streetcars, fire engines, and hauled goods to and from Pike Place Market. The building featured internal ramps for horses to reach upper floors, and a terracotta horse's head relief marks its facade. Union Stables was built near the end of the horse-drawn transportation era. By the early 1920s, automobiles largely replaced horses in Seattle. The building then adapted, serving as a towing garage, furniture warehouse, and auto body shop. It also once held an illicit cache of prohibition-era bootleg liquor. In 2013, Union Stables was designated a City of Seattle landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A rehabilitation, completed in 2015, preserved its original character, including brick walls and timber structures with horse chew marks. Today, Union Stables serves as contemporary office space.