The history of the Peyton Building and Annex dates back to Spokane’s most devastating fire to date, the Great Fire of 1889. In an effort to rebuild downtown Spokane after the Great Fire decimated downtown, the Great Eastern Building, designed by prominent architect Herman Preusse, was erected in 1890. Eight years later, the Great Eastern Building experienced its own devastating fire, leaving only the exterior walls intact. In August of 1898, Colonel Isaac N. Peyton bought the property and its ruins, later hiring the architectural firm, Cutter & Malmgren, to design a new interior for the building and to rebuild the exterior. The exterior features were quickly repaired, restored, or replicated from original remaining fabric. The facade of the Peyton Building had essentially the same appearance as the Great Eastern Building, however, use on the upper floors changed from apartments to offices. In 1908, Colonel Peyton expanded his building by constructing the seven-story Peyton Annex onto the south end of the Peyton Building. Just eight years later, a fire swept through the Peyton Building's corner drug store, Murgittroyd's. Another prominent Spokane architect, Archibald Rigg, was called in to direct the repair work, mainly on the interior. The Peyton Building and Peyton Annex's association with four prominent Spokane architectural firms is significant in telling the story of the building's architectural heritage.

 The Peyton Building and Annex are reminiscent of the Romanesque Revival and Commercial style architecture, and are listed on both the National and Spokane Historic Registers.
 

Management Agreement

National Register Nomination