Location: 204 4th Ave W
Downtown National Historic District, Local Register; Diversity: Gays and Lesbians
M.E. George Grocery in the Angelus Hotel building, around 1914, Robert Esterly photo courtesy of Washington State Historical Society |
Angelus Hotel building today (2012), photo by Matt Kennelly |
The Angelus Hotel building was constructed around 1900 and was in use as a hotel for many years. As was typical of the downtown Olympia buildings of the time, the ground floor was reserved for retail operations. The M.E. George grocery was at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Columbia, currently in use as a restaurant. The building is on the local register, and is part of the National Downtown Historic District. By comparing the 1914 photograph at above left with the current photograph at right, it’s apparent that a third story was added at some point.
This was the home of the Rainbow Restaurant from 1975-1985, a gay and lesbian-friendly store and restaurant with a gay night on Wednesdays.
For more information follow these links:
Olympia Downtown Historic District
Washington State Historical Society, enter the following catalog number in collection search box: 2010.149.26.1 ; C1950.1301.22.14
Olympia Gay and Lesbian History Walking Tour
For more information on the George family, see the George House
Copyright © 2022 Deborah Ross