"Simple Song" statue of Mike Jordan by Kevin Pettelle

Michael McNeil Jordan (1934-2004) was the son of Betty Spooner. His mother operated a dance studio from 1926 until she died in 1966. Mike had danced on Broadway and did other pursuits, but returned to Everett after his mother's passing. He took over the Betty Spooner School of Dance and was very popular with thousands of dance students for decades.

According to the Everett Herald, "In 1993 he was named an Everett Centennial Citizen, a select group of 100 residents who significantly influenced the community. He received the Richard Wendt Award in 2001, the City of Everett's highest arts award. He received recognition in the late 1960s for starting the dance program at Everett Community College. In the early 1990s he was instrumental in shaping the interior design for the Everett Performing Arts Center." Mike was beloved by thousands of students. The dance school, in operation for 78 years, closed after Mike's passing. Mike never married, though he raised three foster sons.

The statue, entitled "Simple Song" after Jordan's frequent last number, was made by Sultan artist Kevin Pettelle for $50,000, donated by hundreds of Everettites.

Bank of Everett (1963)

Everett Register -- proposed. Architect: John Bryant of Bryant, Butterfield and Frets, Everett. Builder: Frank Waltner of Puget Sound Builders.

There were several unrelated banks named Bank of Everett. This one was chartered on June 27, 1962. They started in a temporary old-fashioned building, but intended their bank to be the "last word in modern banking". The new building was dedicated August 9, 1963.

The steel and concrete building had 3,800 square feet on the main and basement floors, plus a mezzanine (intended for future use). The Everett Herald mentioned “the striking feature of the arched (vaulted) ceiling supported by slender white columns. Gold-color Italian glass tile and large window areas, some clear and some amber colored, form the exterior.” Aluminum-framed windows were grey plate on the east, gold figured glass on both sides of the columns.

The interior was laid with gold carpet, and modern tables and chairs. Walls were walnut panel and grass cloth, and hemlock. The fireproof walk-in vault, with new modern safe deposit boxes, reportedly had the thickest walls in Everett. The lower floor had a board room, storage and utility areas, and an employee’s lunchroom.

Cope-Gillette Theatre

The bank went through some changes: to Rainier in 1980 and Key Bank in 1992. By 2005 the building was empty, and purchased by the city of Everett. Two years later, plans were announced to build a 170-seat children's theater. The proposal was for Village Theater and the city to share the remodel costs. But due to the 2008 recession, it was delayed a couple years.

Funds were raised, with the city spending $1.3 million and Village Theatre raising $2.8 million. Architects were Designs Northwest Architects, and Stig Carlson Architecture. The builder was Newland Construction. The building was renamed the Cope-Gillette Theatre on Oct 29, 2015 for philanthropists Saundra Cope and Walt Gillette.

Rumbaugh's Department Store (1929)

Everett Register. Architect: Mirriam and Doyle. Builder: A.D. Balenger, who also built the Medical and Dental Building, the Central Building, and South Junior High School.

Rumbaugh's was the largest department store in Snohomish County. This building was of a modern design at the time, made of structural steel and building block. The exterior has ornamental cream taupe terra cotta. Slender terra cotta pilasters rise the height of the building, emphasizing its vertical lines.

Large open windows enabled a well-lit interior, a key feature desired. The basement was lit with over 70 lightbulbs, and touted as the brightest spot in Everett. The main floor had a tall ceiling and feeling of open space. A broad terrazzo staircase with ornamental iron rail led to upper floors. Also inside were an auditorium, lending library, and post office. Large marquees covered entry ways on both California and Wetmore. Built in conjunction with the store was the Balboa Theater, whose marquee combined with Rumbaugh's.

Allied bought the store in the 1940s, operating it as a Bon Marche. In 1953, the Balboa Theater closed, and it was used by the Bon. In 1968, the Bon removed the brick facing, replacing it with gold-colored anodized aluminum By 1991 the Bon closed. The building was used by Trinity Lutheran College until 2016, then used by Funko.

Fox Balboa Theater (1929)

Built in conjunction with the store was the Fox Balboa Theater, whose marquee combined with Rumbaugh's. The $60,000 theater opened May 29, 2919, just months before the stock market crash. Its name was changed to the Balboa Theater in 1933. In 1953, the Balboa Theater closed, and the space was used by the Bon Marche.

IOOF Hall (1912)

The large three-story building has been altered at the storefront level and replaced the original 1901 lodge for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. National membership peaked over 2 million in 1920. Goldberg Furniture occupied the building from 1941 until 1959.

A corbelled belt course divides the first-story base form the upper stories. Regularly-spaced, rectangular window openings (seven each at the second and third stories) are divided by two-story pilasters, and brick spandrel panels with a decorative geometric design are located between first- and second-story windows. Two thin cast stone belt courses separate the third story from the tall flat parapet above. A wider, flat band with a central peak highlights a simple escutcheon with the construction date -- 1912.

Salvation Army (1918)

This two-story building is faced with oversized bricks and there are two entries with original wood windows. Simple decorative details include a crenellated cornice and sloped brick window sills.

Montgomery Ward (1929)

Originally a wooden hotel was built here for Thurlow and Wiley (1901).

Montgomery Ward, a nation wide chain similar to Sears, had this building built in 1929, as announced in the Dec 5, 1929 Herald. They had moved from the Medical and Dental building at 2724 Colby. They also occupied the building just north, called the Dean building. It was managed by R. S. McClaflin, with H. Morgan Brown assistant manager. The first floor had yard goods and drapery material, notions, ladies' furnishings, boy's and men's furnishings, men's clothing, and shoes. The mezzanine floor had ladies' fashions, millinery and the baby department. The third floor had furniture, floor coverings, window shades, and a radio department. The basement had automobile and sporting goods, hardware, stoves, paint, wall paper. They occupied it until at least 1937, after which they moved across the alley to 2817-19 Colby.

It was vacant from about 1939-1941. By 1944, it was a U.S.O. building. The Herald announced that it was occupied by American Legion on Nov 18, 1946. They remodeled the lower facade and interior as shown in the April 7, 1954 Herald. They had it through at least 1988.

Barbershop (1909)

Tom Johnson in 1973 Jack O'Donnell collection

2800 block of Wetmore

Speaker's Corner (1916)

The northwest corner of Wetmore & Hewitt Avenues was the traditional spot for local soapbox orators, and it was not until the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) began using the corner to protest the poor working conditions of shingle workers that public speaking was outlawed on this corner. A group of 300 IWW members ferried to Everett to support the shingle strikers in a rally. There was a confrontation with the police at the waterfront when the IWW members tried to land and shooting broke out. Five workers and 2 deputies were killed, and at least 30 were wounded. This November 5, 1916 is known as the "Everett Massacre".

More on Speaker's Corner at Sno Co Historic Corners.

2900 block of Wetmore

City Hall (1929)

National Historic Register. Architect: A.H. Albertson. Builder: .

Ironically, this building at the corner of Wall Street was completed at the start of the Great Depression. It is an Art Deco style masonry building with four floors and full basement. The two-story pavilion has the main entrance, with bronze letters proclaiming "City of Everett". Buff-colored brick and terra cotta clad the facade. Behind is the three-story main building, and on either flank are two-story wings.

Not long after Everett incorporated in 1893, city government moved from rented rooms to the first city hall on Broadway. By the 1920s, growth of the city and a feeling of prosperity motivated the city to build a grand, modern city hall. The design was announced in January 1929, and the building occupied by November. Mostly well received by Everettites, one citizen complained that the structure looked like a great toad squatting in a hole.

In 1978-79, the building was rehabilitated, but the exterior and much of the interior was kept intact.

Old Snohomish County Courthouse (1898 - mostly burned down, 1911)

National Historic Register. Architect: August F. Heide (both the first and second buildings). Builder: Olson and Mellen (second building).

The Snohomish County seat originally was in Mukilteo (1861), then moved later that year to Snohomish. But in 1897, it was moved to Everett on land donated by the Everett Land Co. Heide, working for the Everett Land Co., designed the Chateauesque style original building, three stories of brick and stone, complete the following year. In 1908 a two-story brick annex was added on the north side.

Fire!

A fire started in a carriage and wheel factory across Wetmore on August 2, 1909. Sparks from it lit the older courthouse on fire, and only the annex was saved. Many important county records, including building records were lost. To this day, research on historic architecture relies on city permit records, and exact dates of buildings are not known.

Little was salvagable except the foundation and a few walls.

A new courthouse rises from the ashes

August Heide, now a Seattle architect, was selected to draw new plans for the replacement courthouse. The new building, in the midst of an Everett boom when the city tripled in size, was to be in an up-to-date style and with the latest approved modern construction. He designed it in the Mission style popular at that time, managing to re-use the three ground floor arches. Originally, the center arch was the main entry. A central balcony and tile roof give the exterior it's classic Mission appearance.

A square clock tower rises flush with the west facade, topped by a belfry and stucco dome. The clock started on March 9, 1910. All four faces use the same mechanism, and interior clocks of the day were regulated together with the main clock.

The war memorial was built in 1943, clad in white stucco like the courthouse.

In 1952, the south end was altered such that the facade is no longer perfectly symmetrical. The courthouse interior was remodeled in 1966-7 when construction of the county administrative complex was done. In 1965, the annex was removed, two towers were removed, and a new building put up to the north.

The courthouse was restored in the early 2000s, reparing the roof and stabilizing the clock tower. Decades of bird droppings, and cracked shells left by seagulls were removed. The tiles were removed, cleaned, and replaced over a waterproof membrane. The dome was repainted in its original deep yellow color. The windows were rehabilitated and the stucco walls repaired and painted.

More history of this magnificent building is at this History Link article by Margaret Riddle.