The 1900 edition of Polk's Seattle City Directory listed four apartment buildings. By 1939, that number had grown to almost 1,400. This study explores the circumstances that prompted the explosive growth of this previously unknown form of housing in Seattle and takes an in-depth look at a large number of different apartment buildings, from the small and simple to the large and grand.

Illustrated with numerous contemporary and vintage photographs and sketches, this volume preserves an intimate record of these under-studied and under-appreciated buildings and will inspire an appreciation for their history and architectural variety, and for their preservation as an integral part of Seattle's urban landscape.