Holley-Mason Hardware Building

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Constructed in 1905 for $200,000, the Renaissance inspired building in front of you is a six-story commercial structure. The Holley-Mason Building was one of the first reinforced concrete buildings in the entire state. The load-bearing capabilities for reinforced concrete were still in its experimental phases at the time of this sites construction. The Holley-Mason Building was incorrectly marketed as Spokane's first fireproof building because of the tremendously reduced use of wood materials throughout. The Holley-Mason Building was constructed as a warehouse for heavy hardware in support of the growing mining industry.

During the Holley-Mason Company's occupation of the site, floor organization was based off the weight of the overall kind of merchandise. The basement of the hardware building held nails, barbed wire, bolts and heavy material. The second floor contained sporting goods, while the third floor had wagon and carriage goods. Lastly, the fourth floor had stoves and the fifth floor housed home furnishing hardware. Architecturally, the building is Commercial Romanesque and displays a variety of fenestration and ornamentation. The segmentally-arched windows, rusticated brick work and terra cotta keystones are all features correlated with the Renaissance style of the building.

Albert Held, an architectural pioneer in the Pacific Northwest, designed the Holley-Mason and several other famous buildings in Spokane. Albert Held was born in Minnesota in 1866. For a short time he was a draftsman in Minnesota, but like many of his craft he moved to Spokane when he heard of the great opportunities to rebuild a city. Albert Held was an involved community member in Spokane until his death in 1924. Today the Holley-Mason is still a warehouse, approaching an age of 110 years old.