The structure standing today dates to 1902. Its survival through more than a century of shifting shipping trades, remodels and engineering upgrades is a large part of what makes it significant. You can browse other protected sites in the city through our guide to all landmarks in Seattle.
A Collapse in 1901 and a Stronger Rebuild
Pier 55 did not start under that name. It was first called Pier 4, and the original Pier 4 went up in 1900. In September 1901 that first pier gave way, and at least 1,700 tons of freight were lost. No one died in the collapse.
The Northern Pacific Railroad finished a replacement the following year, this time with better bracing. That 1902 rebuild is the pier that still stands. The waterfront piers were renumbered during World War II, which is when Pier 4 became Pier 55.
Steamships, Poulsbo Boats and a Hong Kong Operator
The first tenant of the rebuilt pier was the Arlington Dock Company. The company worked as a shipping agent for passenger steamships bound for several West Coast cities, as well as Alaska, Asia and Europe.
By 1912 the pier served as the terminal for local steamboat lines running to Poulsbo and Liberty Bay. Passenger service continued here until around World War I.
The pier in 1917
In 1917 the Northern Pacific Railway owned this pier along with Piers 1, 2, 3 and 5. Dodwell Dock and Warehouse Co. operated it, a firm owned by Dodwell and Co. of Hong Kong. The pier was also the home terminal for the fleet of Border Line Transportation Co.
Records from that year describe a sizable working dock:
- The pier measured 325 by 100 feet.
- It offered 750 feet of berthing space.
- A warehouse on the pier measured 300 by 80 feet and could hold 8,000 tons of cargo.
- The water alongside was 40 feet deep at low tide.
From Fisheries Supply to Argosy Cruises
From at least 1938 into the 1980s, the Fisheries Supply Company was the main tenant of Pier 55. That long stretch tied the pier to Seattle's commercial fishing and marine trades for roughly half a century.
The pier was remodeled in 1945, with structural improvements by Melvin O. Sylliaasen. The engineering firm Harvey Dodd and Associates made further structural work in the 1960s. More improvements came in the late 1990s, along with some changes to the exterior of the pier shed.
Pier 55 now serves as the Seattle terminal for Argosy Cruises. For sailing times, ticketing and current details, check with Argosy Cruises directly before you go.
Visiting Pier 55 on Alaskan Way
Pier 55 sits at 1101 Alaskan Way in the Central Business District, part of the Downtown district. The pier is on the central waterfront, a short walk from the downtown core. Our Central Business District neighborhood guide covers more of the surrounding blocks.
Plan a little extra time around a cruise departure. The pier's neighbors include several other landmarks within a few minutes on foot, which makes it easy to pair a boat trip with a short history walk.
Landmarks Within a Short Walk
Few spots in Seattle have as many designated landmarks packed so closely together. These are all within about a tenth of a mile of Pier 55, measured in a straight line:
- Pier 54, the neighboring pier, under 0.1 mile away
- Pier 56, the next pier north, under 0.1 mile away
- Olympic Warehouse and Cold Storage Building, under 0.1 mile away
- Pacific Net and Twine Building, under 0.1 mile away
- Fire Station #5, about 0.1 mile away
- Pier 57, about 0.1 mile away
- National Building, part of the 1st Avenue Groups/Waterfront Center, about 0.1 mile away
- Colman Building, also part of the 1st Avenue Groups/Waterfront Center, about 0.1 mile away
Walking between Piers 54, 55, 56 and 57 gives a clear sense of how the railroad era shaped this stretch of shoreline, with the warehouse and commercial buildings across the way filling in the rest of the story.
