Curtin, John and Violet House

Location: 215 Maple Park Ave
South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood

Curtin House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor’s photograph from Southwest Regional Archives

Curtin House today (2026), photo by Steve Davis

In the early part of the 20th Century, Maple Park was one of the more socially desirable locations in Olympia. Gracious and large homes flanked the park, which was planted with flowers and lovingly maintained. A bandstand hosted regular summer concerts, and a tall flagpole with a gold globe surmounting it crowned the park. The park was flanked by homes of Olympia’s wealthy citizens, including the A.D. Rogers home, the nearby Jewett House, and the Ogden House. Unfortunately, all of the homes originally located on the north side of the street were demolished or moved in the 1950s and 1960s to make way for the expansion of Capitol Campus to the east side of Capitol Way. A few vintage houses remain on the south side, scattered among newer homes.

The John and Violet Curtin House, built about 1923, is is an excellent and well-preserved example of the Bungalow Style of residential architecture widely popular in the first decades of the 20th century. The house was built in 1923 for John W. Curtin, a cement contractor, for $4,000 by Clark Brothers contactor. The home is in the South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood and is inventoried, but not on the local register.

More information:

South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood