Built in 1913 with an addition in 1926, the Wells Chevrolet Showroom at 1229 W. 1st Avenue in Spokane’s Riverside neighborhood is significant for its association with the evolution of the automobile and automobile-related business in Spokane. In 1913, the Wells Chevrolet Showroom was one of the first automobile dealerships to be established along Spokane’s auto row. Initially, the showroom was a single story structure designed by Arthur C. Crowley. Thirteen years later in 1926, a second story addition, designed by C. Ferris White, was constructed to accommodate increased automobile demand. In the United States and Washington state, the 1920s was a major growth period for automobile ownership and at the same time, the improvement of the infrastructure required for citizens to use those vehicles. In the U.S., by the end of the 1920s, the number of registered owners of automobiles in the U.S. almost tripled from the year 1920 to 1930 to 23 million. Unfortunatley, the Wells Chevrolet fell into financial distress during the Great Depression, closing their doors and leaving the building vacant in 1933. The Wells Chevrolet Showroom was added to the Spokane Register of Historic Places in 2020, with its service building across the street nominated in 1999.

The Wells Chevrolet Showroom Building is a contributing property in the West Downtown Historic Transportation Corridor, listed on the National Register of Historic Places 11/23/1999.
 

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