Save the Chancery

The magnificent 1910 Chancery Building, at 1023 W. Riverside Ave., one of Spokane’s remaining architectural gems, now faces an uncertain future with demolition at the top of the list. It’s owned by the Cowles, who have major redevelopment plans for the entire block and have made it clear that it doesn’t include refurbishing the Chancery!

The gorgeous exterior of the structure is unlike any other building in Spokane. It stands three stories high, a visual gift from a bygone era when architecture was elaborate, graceful and built to withstand time, not throwaway like some of today’s “boxes.” It is made of gleaming, white-glazed terracotta, hand crafted with every elaborate block made to fit a specific spot, a prime example of Italian Renaissance Revival architecture.

The building was designed by famous Spokane architect Kirtland Cutter and expanded later by Gustav Pehrson, also a noted Spokane architect.

Spokane Preservation Advocates has been championing rehabilitation of the building (it qualifies for historic tax credits), but ultimately Betsy Cowles holds the key to its fate. This glorious, one-of-a-kind building deserves to be refurbished, NOT demolished. Please write in support of saving the Chancery, tell the Cowles that there is nothing that they could build in its place that would be worth the loss of this iconic building!

Spokane needs to save its few remaining significant un-restored historic structures; they could never be built again and nothing built today can match the craftsmanship or aesthetics of that era!

Suzanne Markham

Spokane