Throughout 2021 the Sunday Olympian’s Looking Back feature portrayed events and people from the Sylvester’s Window cityscape project. When the state acquired the Old State Capitol Building (originally built as the Thurston County Courthouse), and moved the seat of government to downtown Olympia, it was apparent that downtown accommodations were inadequate to house all of the legislators, lobbyists and others during legislative session. After much delay, the elegant five-story Hotel Olympian, pictured in the 1933 cityscape, was completed in 1920, directly to the north of Sylvester Park.
Susan Parish collection, Washington State Archives
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2021