Downtown Seattle in King County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)
Belltown Pan
Photographed by Marilee Benore, May 11, 2021
1. Belltown Pan Marker
On this site, from 1978 to 1982, the Belltown Cafι served the neighborhood as a cultural hearth and home to a Groundhog Day root pie tradition. The cafι proprietors often traded food for art with their customers. One exchange resulted in the creation of the "Belltown Pan", a large metal pan in the shape of a bell, fabricated to function both as an exterior sign for the cafι and as a baking pan that would fit into a commercial oven. On Groundhog Day, the pan would be taken inside and used to bake an assortment of root vegetables for all to share, then returned to its outdoor position the following day. During this time period, the community engaged in many civic activities including the planting of street trees along First Avenue, and the establishment of the Apex Belltown Co-op. Today, the non-profit affordable housing organization, Bellwether, occupies this site; and the iconic Belltown pan lives on as a symbolic call to engage in community action for the common good.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1978.
Location. 47° 36.809′ N, 122° 20.821′ W. Marker is in Seattle, Washington, in King County. It is in Downtown Seattle. It is on 1st Avenue north of Bell Street,
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Regionally, this marker is in Washington’s Puget Sound Region. It is also on the American Pacific Coast, in the Pacific Northwest, and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, in the Cascade Range, in the Inside Passage, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Austin A. Bell Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Speakeasy Cafι (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Bell Street Bridge (about 700 feet away); Seattle-Galway Stone (approx. 0.2 miles away); Guiry/Schillestad Buildings (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bell Street Terminal, Pier 66 (approx. 0.2 miles away); In Memory of Joseph Anthony Tudor (approx. 0.2 miles away); Crystal Pool (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Seattle.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Why Are the Piers Angled? (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Also see . . . The History of the Belltown Pan. Article about the Belltown Cafι, the pan, and the tradition of baking root pies. Also, "the Belltown Cafι closed in 1983 and the building itself was lost to fire 4 years later. From the ashes came a new affordable housing development The Oregon Apartments." (Submitted on August 24, 2021, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
Photographed by Craig Baker, December 25, 2025
2. Belltown Pan Marker
Photographed by Craig Baker, December 25, 2025
3. Belltown Pan Marker
Photographed by Craig Baker, December 25, 2025
4. Belltown Pan Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on December 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 24, 2021, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 1,462 times since then and 109 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 24, 2021, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 26, 2025, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.
