William Kenzo Nakamura United States Courthouse
| William Kenzo Nakamura United States Courthouse | |
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| Former names | United States Courthouse |
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Courthouse |
| Architectural style | Art deco, PWA Moderne |
| Address | 1010 5th Avenue Seattle, Washington |
| Named for | William Kenzo Nakamura |
| Construction started | 1936 |
| Completed | August 1940 |
| Renovated | 1983-1984, 2006-2009 |
| Cost | $1.7 million |
| Renovation cost | $71 million(2006-2009) |
| Owner | General Services Administration |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Concrete & Terracotta |
| Floor count | 10, 13 |
| Floor area | 190,000 square feet (18,000 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Gilbert Stanley Underwood, Weinstein A/U Architects-Urban Design, Seattle (2006-2009 renovation) |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 5 courtrooms |
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U.S. Courthouse
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| Location | Seattle, Washington |
| Coordinates | 47°36′26″N 122°19′53″W / 47.60722°N 122.33139°WCoordinates: 47°36′26″N 122°19′53″W / 47.60722°N 122.33139°W |
| Built | 1936-1940 |
| NRHP reference # | 80004003 |
| Added to NRHP | January 8, 1980 |
The William Kenzo Nakamura United States Courthouse is a federal courthouse in Seattle, Washington primarily used by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Built in 1940 as the United States Courthouse to consolidate federal agencies within the city, it was renamed for Medal of Honor recipient William K. Nakamura in 2001. The Ninth Circuit started using the building in the 1970s and became the principal tenant in 2004 when most other users moved to the new 23-story United States Courthouse in the Denny Triangle.
The 10-story Art Deco building at 1010 Fifth Avenue houses 5 courtrooms and is one of four regular meeting places for the Ninth Circuit, where appeals from northern Districts are heard. With a mix of Neoclassical and modern abstract features, the Nakamura Courthouse overlooks a large sloping lawn (landscaped with a large central walkway, planters, hedges, and oak trees) which has become one of the more significant public green spaces in downtown Seattle.
Approved by Congress in 1936, with construction begun in 1936 and completed in 1940, the United States Courthouse in Seattle was the first single-purpose federal courthouse in the western United States. The building represents the United States' commitment to democratic ideals and evokes the stability, permanence, and authority of the federal government.
Opened ten years after the Great Depression halted virtually all Seattle construction, the building signaled the potential for new growth in downtown Seattle and substantial federal investment in the region. Constructed on the former site of Seattle's first hospital, the Courthouse cost $1.7 million to complete and brought together federal agencies previously scattered throughout the city. These included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Clerk's Office, Probation Office, United States Secret Service, and the Alcohol Tax Unit. Additionally, naturalization ceremonies for immigrants to the Pacific Northwest occurred here. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit moved into the courthouse in the early 1970s.
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