619 WESTERN AVE

The building, originally called the “Yesler Building” 
and now the Mutual Life Building,
was built on the approximate site of Henry Yesler’s cookhouse, which served
as Seattle’s first public space and restaurant. Henry Yesler commissioned
Elmer Fisher to design this building as well as the Bank of Commerce Building, 
now confusingly called the “Yesler Building.” Emil DeNeuf is now credited 
with the design of the upper floors in 1892-93, and Robertson & Blackwell 
for the 1904 rear addition to the west and the redesign of the 
cornice of the original building, which was modified to be horizontal. 
Henry Yesler was one of Seattle’s early founding settlers, and an influential early 
Seattle entrepreneur, guiding force and owner of prime real estate in the area 
around the Public Square (now Pioneer Place) and north of Yesler Way. 
He owned the Puget Sound’s first 
steam mill and operated his famous cookhouse, a grist mill as well as a 
general store. Two of the four mills he owned were located west of the site 
of the present Mutual Life Building. Only the basement and first floor of Elmer 
Fisher’s design were actually built. The first floor rusticated stone cladding was 
smoothed over in 1904. Fisher had grand plans for the building, which included 
two major towers. A quote from the March 1891 Northwest Real Estate and 
Building Review read: “ When completed the building will present one of the 
most showy exteriors in Seattle. Its design is semi-Romanesque, with two red 
tile-covered towers on the broad eastern front. ” The first floor was temporarily 
roofed over in 1891. Henry Yesler died in 1892 and economic conditions were 
also poor in this period. In 1892, five floors were added by Emil DeNeuf. 
DeNeuf did not follow Fisher’s original design exactly, although he was 
responsible for two towers.
Instead he created a more unified design of repeated arches. Based on other 
works such as the Lowman and Hanford Building and the First Avenue South 
façade of the Schwabacher Building, the more unified design and the use of light 
colored brick, seem to be hallmarks of DeNeuf’s work. The upper parts of the
sixth level of the building were lost during the 1949 Earthquake, oddly enough 
giving even more consistency to DeNeuf’s design. In some historical studies,
James Blackwell is credited with the five floors, added by DeNeuf. More recent 
studies credit Robertson and Blackwell for the western addition near the Post 
Hotel and a new office building, especially between 1889 and 1891. His most 
well-known work in Seattle is the Pioneer Building, which he also designed for 
Henry Yesler. 
By 1891, despite the accolades the Pioneer Building received in 1892, he had 
abandoned his career as an architect to run the Abbott Hotel in Seattle, which
 he had also designed and built.  Emil DeNeuf arrived 
in Seattle in 1889 and began his career as a draftsman in Elmer Fisher’s office. 
He had an independent practice by the end of 1891. He also was the designer 
of the Lowman and Hanford Building.  In 1895, the Mutual Life Insurance
Company of New York bought the building and it has been named 
the Mutual Life Building since that time. This insurance 
company occupied the southeast corner of the second floor until 1916. 
The main floor was occupied was the First National Bank, which incorporated on 
this site in 1892 and in 1929 merged with other local Seattle banks, the 
Dexter Horton Bank (originally in the Maynard Building) and the 
Seattle National Bank to form the Seattle-First National Bank, 
then Washington State’s largest financial 
institution.
In the 1980s, Historic Seattle, which had entered into a long-term lease 
agreement with the Emerald Fund, put together a plan for a $ 3.6 million 
rehabilitationof the building. The rehabilitation by Olson/Walker architects was 
completed in 1984. 
It included a major overhaul of the building’s interior spaces and new storefronts, 
some with arched forms, recalling the original arches that flanked the main 
entry portal. Despite the changes over the years, 
the basic integrity of this building has been kept. 
This is a Pioneer Square building of major architectural and historical importance.


The Mutual Life Building 605 First Avenue South Built in 1890 with major additions in 1916. Late Victorian or Victorian romanesque sandstone prevalent in Seattle building constructed after the 1889 fire. The office floors added later reflect the Chicago school or commercial style typical of the early 20th century. Pioneer Square, Seattle,. 1905 Photographer - Webster & Stevens Signs in image: Northern Pacific Railway. The Mutual Life Building. Ticket Office - Canadian Pacific Ry. - Pacific Line - Ticket and Freight Office. The Hub. Starr Boyd. Starr Building. Fireman's [Fu...] [Insurance?] Company. Safe Deposit.

Mutual Life Building, northwest corner of Yesler Way and 1st Ave. Seattle 1904 Photographer - Asahel Curtis 1874-1941 The Mutual Life Building underwent major restoration in 1984 directed by Historic Seattle.

Looking north from the enterence to the Mutual Life Building. Pioneer Square, Seattle,1912 Photographer - Webster & Stevens Signs in image: Hotel Norman - Entrance 89 Yesler Way - Rooms 25 Cents to 50 Cents. The Hub - Regal [...] Clothes. Dentists. The Right Hotel - Rates 50 Cents to $1.50. Good Eats, Right Prices - Cafeteria and Dairy Lunch United Cigar Store Co. Lowman & Hanford Co. - Booksellers and Stationers - Printers, Engravers, Binders - Loose Leaf Systems - Cameras and Photographic Supplies - Desks and Filing Cabinets. New York Dental Parlors. Dr. J.P. Sweeney.
The building, originally called the “Yesler Building” and now the Mutual Life Building, was built on the approximate site of Henry Yesler’s cookhouse, which served as Seattle’s first public space and restaurant. Henry Yesler commissioned Elmer Fisher to design this building as well as the Bank of Commerce Building, now confusingly called the “Yesler Building.” Emil DeNeuf is now credited with the design of the upper floors in 1892-93, and Robertson & Blackwell for the 1904 rear addition to the west and the redesign of the cornice of the original building, which was modified to be horizontal. Henry Yesler was one of Seattle’s early founding settlers, and an influential early Seattle entrepreneur, guiding force and owner of prime real estate in the area around the Public Square (now Pioneer Place) and north of Yesler Way. He owned the Puget Sound’s first steam mill and operated his famous cookhouse, a grist mill as well as a general store. Two of the four mills he owned were located west of the site of the present Mutual Life Building. Only the basement and first floor of Elmer Fisher’s design were actually built. The first floor rusticated stone cladding was smoothed over in 1904. Fisher had grand plans for the building, which included two major towers. A quote from the March 1891 Northwest Real Estate and Building Review read: “ When completed the building will present one of the most showy exteriors in Seattle. Its design is semi-Romanesque, with two red tile-covered towers on the broad eastern front. ” The first floor was temporarily roofed over in 1891. Henry Yesler died in 1892 and economic conditions were also poor in this period. In 1892, five floors were added by Emil DeNeuf. DeNeuf did not follow Fisher’s original design exactly, although he was responsible for two towers. Instead he created a more unified design of repeated arches. Based on other works such as the Lowman and Hanford Building and the First Avenue South façade of the Schwabacher Building, the more unified design and the use of light colored brick, seem to be hallmarks of DeNeuf’s work. The upper parts of the sixth level of the building were lost during the 1949 Earthquake, oddly enough giving even more consistency to DeNeuf’s design. In some historical studies, James Blackwell is credited with the five floors, added by DeNeuf. More recent studies credit Robertson and Blackwell for the western addition near the Post Hotel and a new office building, especially between 1889 and 1891. His most well-known work in Seattle is the Pioneer Building, which he also designed for Henry Yesler. By 1891, despite the accolades the Pioneer Building received in 1892, he had abandoned his career as an architect to run the Abbott Hotel in Seattle, which he had also designed and built. Emil DeNeuf arrived in Seattle in 1889 and began his career as a draftsman in Elmer Fisher’s office. He had an independent practice by the end of 1891. He also was the designer of the Lowman and Hanford Building. In 1895, the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York bought the building and it has been named the Mutual Life Building since that time. This insurance company occupied the southeast corner of the second floor until 1916. The main floor was occupied was the First National Bank, which incorporated on this site in 1892 and in 1929 merged with other local Seattle banks, the Dexter Horton Bank (originally in the Maynard Building) and the Seattle National Bank to form the Seattle-First National Bank, then Washington State’s largest financial institution. In the 1980s, Historic Seattle, which had entered into a long-term lease agreement with the Emerald Fund, put together a plan for a $ 3.6 million rehabilitationof the building. The rehabilitation by Olson/Walker architects was completed in 1984. It included a major overhaul of the building’s interior spaces and new storefronts, some with arched forms, recalling the original arches that flanked the main entry portal. Despite the changes over the years, the basic integrity of this building has been kept. This is a Pioneer Square building of major architectural and historical importance.