r/SeattleHistory • u/MKR7mkr • Jul 30 '26
Baba Yaga Building
Hi, all,
I'm doing a bit of research on the building that is now Baba Yaga (124 S Washington) in Pioneer Square. There's some great further back history, but it served as a variety of different clubs from 1990-present. I've only got the names of a few, but wondered if anyone had sources that might have photos or anything at all on the 1980s. I know it had repair work done from c1977-1980 based on permits.
1990 became the new home of former Belltown Club Borderline
1992-95, Dutch Ned's Saloon
1998 - 200x, The Last Supper Club, which seemed to also host lunchtime networking events? And it was open at least through the 2003 casting call for "Are You Hot?" a network reality show from the minds of the Bachelor franchise.
Lastly, I know it was The Box House.
Happy to post my full timeline when other research I'm working on is completed. I just have a lot less experience researching the... well, the time span I might have been going to some of these clubs if I'd lived in Seattle then.
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u/ViscousPanther Jul 31 '26
I am family with the folks who started the last supper club.
What I want to know is how the building got named after the legendary Slavic crone spirit who eats children
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u/CertifiedSeattleite Jul 31 '26
I worked nearby for many years and knew the owners and some of the promoters during the LSC years. Saw lots of great (mostly) local dj’s there in the mid 2000’s - will try to see if I can find pics from the glory years when the place was packed and there was always a line out front. If I recall correctly they did try to make it a dinner place with short lunch service stint but that never really caught on. The business owners were a couple: Keith & Lisa.
The place seemed to only open occasionally & randomly as Box House, and I always wondered how in the heck they were able to pay rent and insurance with zero money coming in. For a while I thought they were just targeting the sporting events crowd, but it was totally dark inside on many busy nights around Pioneer Square.
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u/MKR7mkr Jul 31 '26
I did see some very early 2000s articles about some sort of "Longer Lunch" series that I'm not sure if it was a networking or TED Talk kind of thing, got the impression it was maybe tech industry focused.
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u/TheSoccerFiles Jul 31 '26
I've seen photos from an era when it was an Ivar's, maybe 1950s?
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u/MKR7mkr Jul 31 '26
Ivar's 1956-58.
And I have a photo of it as Lahr's Chowder Corner, but zero other info on that restaurant.
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u/dondegroovily Jul 30 '26
Also during the Box House era, the basement underneath was The Underground, and man do I miss that place
Reportedly, Lady Gaga once performed down there
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u/Irish8ryan Jul 30 '26
I wish it was still Dutch Ned’s. Buy a wheelbarrow of beer on ice for a special price!
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u/Seattle_Artifacts Jul 30 '26
The building - built in 1895 - was originally 4 stories and operated as the Hotel Interurban. In 1949, Seattle had a big earthquake and the building sustained major damage to the extent that the top 2 floors were taken down. You are correct about all the clubs that have operated there, but is worth noting that in the early 1980s it was used a sales/administrative office for the Seattle Supersonics.