From the mid-1880s to the beginning of World War I Spokane was one of the most prosperous and fastest growing cities in the US. During this period Spokane grew from a small frontier settlement to become the commercial and transportation centre of the Inland Northwest. Though industries such as forestry and farming were bringing wealth to the city, it was mining and minerals upon which this city was built. Daniel Corbin was one of the pivotal individuals in Spokane's newfound prosperity.
Daniel Chase Corbin, born on October 1, 1832, in Newport, New Hampshire, began to build his fortune by freighting in Colorado. With mineral strikes occurring in Montana he moved to Helena and entered the banking and mining arenas. When more mineral strikes took place in Northern Idaho he began his railroad building career there, building feeder lines from Spokane to the mining areas around Coeur d'Alene. These became crucial links between Spokane and the wealth of the mines.
Next, he built the Spokane Falls & Northern Railroad north through Colville and Northport, across the border to Rossland and Nelson, BC in order to access the great silver, gold and copper wealth being unearthed there. When the financial panic of 1893 did little to lessen his fortune, he began to invest in Spokane real estate. Finally, in 1899 he established the Spokane Valley Land and Water Company to irrigate farmland, ultimately irrigating 18,000 acres.
The house and grounds were purchased from Daniel's second wife, Anna, by the city of Spokane in 1945 and eventually became the Corbin Art Center, which is within the larger Pioneer Park, and is now home to the City of Spokane's Corbin Arts and Crafts program.
The centre provides arts and crafts programs for children and adults alike, and has been doing so for over 50 years. It also houses gallery exhibits.
The
House:
Exterior
The Corbin House is rectangular in form with an offset service wing a southeast or rear elevation expanded by. The covered porch wraps around three and one-half elevations, interrupted only by the offset rear wing and its additions. Above concrete entry steps, the slightly projecting portico is supported at each comer by three Tuscan columns. Single and double Tuscan columns, evenly spaced, and a railing with turned balusters define the expansive porch which is distinguished by octagonal corner pavilions. The columns support a continuous freize with small dentils. The porch is supported by a foundation of rose-gray brick laid in a common bond. Lattices of wood in a vertical-horizontal pattern vent the porch foundation walls. Foundation walls for the house itself are mortared stone. Over the main entry at the second level, is a balustrade. Installed in 1995, the balustrade is replication based on early photographs, and is only missing only its corner urns.4 The 1A light entry door of stained oak has a single-pane glass window above a four panel lower half. Surrounding woodwork is painted white. The door is framed by large side lights over wood panels. Above, transoms lights are wood-framed multiple small panes. On the remainder of the first floor fa9ade, four twelve-over-one windows, two on each side, have louvered wood shutters. Lintels
consist of a continuous wood cornice frieze that is plain except for its dentils. Windowsills are of brick. The blond brick veneer of the walls are laid in a common bond.
First floor fenestration is repeated on the second level, but with a triple window looking out to the porch and its balustrade. The three-part window is framed by a common entablature and pilasters, with engaged columns separating its windows. Remaining second floor windows have flat arch lintels with radiating voussoirs. Centered on the hipped roof are three gabled dormers. The middle dormer boasts a Palladian window and cornice returns, while the smaller dormers have six-over-one double hung windows and pedimented gable ends. The hip roof is covered with asphalt composition shingles and has four engaged
brick corbeled chimneys.
Stylistic details of the main fa9ade are repeated on the west, east and south elevations, but windows are nine-over-one. Both the east and west facades have pedimented dormers similar in scale to the main
facade. The east elevation's porch incorporates access to the basement with a staircase that adjoins the east exterior wall. At the wing wall, a later porch extension to accommodate a handicap ramp is discernable due to its taller balustrade, wood skirting, and plywood floor. Attached to the southeast comer of the home is a two-story service wing with one story sunroom and bathroom space.
Based upon research, the home's exterior wood surfaces have been recently painted in original colors: a soft white for the porch and window woodwork, dark green for the shutters, and gray for the porch's
wooden floor. Removable storm windows have been added for energy efficiency.
Interior
Inside the main entry door, the home opens to a small entry vestibule and a repeated set of millwork similar in detail to the front entry. Here a half light door with transom window and sidelights with transoms, offer a near opaque wall into the main entry hall. The central hall leads to an ornate oak dog-leg staircase highlighted by an arched doorway leading to the service wing. Typical of the Colonial Revival style, the formal entry hall opens to a parlor and dining room, and a living room that extends the full depth of the house. Large six-foot multi-paneled sliding oak doors close of the space for privacy. The living room's features include a large ceiling cross beam and a fireplace with an oak mantelpiece with Tuscan columns. Original fireplace tiles are moss green. The more formal parlor has ivory-painted woodwork, with fluted Doric columns and pilasters framing the fireplace and window seats and cornice molding above doors and
windows. Fireplace tiles are yellow and white. Its two paneled pocket doors have been restored. The dining room has paneled oak wainscoting and doorway surrounds with dentils, egg and dart molding and patera. Wall surfaces in the hallway and three main rooms, once covered with multiple layers of wallpaper, have been stripped and painted, with samples of original wallpapers preserved under polymer glass. Floors
are oak. First floor lighting fixtures are largely original. Designed for both gas and electricity, they include brass and opal glass chandeliers and bracket wall sconces as well as fireplace fixtures. Cast iron radiators have been restored. These three main rooms are used today as gallery space and meeting rooms.
Beyond the central hallway, rooms that once functioned as the kitchen, the butler's pantry, and other service areas are used as offices today. Features of these work areas that have been preserved include a
servant's call box and the kitchen's original hearth brickwork and its re-glazed sink. Off the former pantry, a service staircase accesses the second floor.
The main staircase at the south end of the central hallway is oak. The oak newel posts have ornamental wood carvings. The staircase has two landings separated by quarter turns and leads to a spacious second
floor hallway with oak flooring. Few changes have been made to the second floor. Three fireplaces in various bedrooms have their original tiles and mantelpieces with decorative friezes. Altered for apartments
in 1933, the second floor bathroom was divided into two full baths and a storage closet adjacent to the south guest bedroom was converted to a kitchenette. Following Park Board acquisition, the property was
leased to Washington State College (now Washington State University) for use as an art center. Changes to. accommodate the new use included removal of a wall between the two west bedrooms to create one large
classroom. The attic, accessible by an enclosed staircase, is unfinished. The basement, partly finished, is used as classroom space.