Location: 515 Eastside St. SE
Schools, Wohleb, Local Register
Washington School about 1891, Olympia Tribune Souvenir Issue, Washington State Library |
Armory Building today (2012), Photograph courtesy of Deb Ross |
This location was originally the site of the first Washington School, shown above, which faced onto Quince Street. It housed elementary, middle and high school students. In 1923 the second Washington School, currently the Esther Knox Administrative Building of the Olympia School District, was built nearby and the building was demolished. In 1938, the current Armory (National Guard) building was built. It is a classic Wohleb design in an Art Deco style.
The Armory is no longer in active service to the National Guard, and was transferred to the City of Olympia in 2022 for use as a creative center. In preparation for the transfer, the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum engaged in an outreach program to gather stories, photographs, video, and other material about the history of the structure. Link below to Armory Storytelling Project.
Links to more information:
Digital Archives photo (Washington School)
Washington State Historical Society: enter the following catalog number in collection search box: C1957.134x.15, C1980.22.4, C1963.18.
Knox, a Diary of the Olympia School District
Olympia Armory Creative Campus web page
Copyright © 2022 Deborah Ross