Morris House

Location: 110 26th Ave SW
South Capitol Neighborhood National Historic District

Morris House, 1936, Thurston County assessor, Southwest Regional Archives

Morris House today (2015), photo by Deb Ross

This imposing colonial revival home was owned by two unrelated families named Morris. Justice George Morris built the large home, with its impressive landscaping, 1909 to 1918, and served as Chief Justice from 1916 to 1917. Later on, Mel and Irma Morris bought the house. The Morrises owned the most important ladies’ clothing store, M.M. Morris, at the corner of Washington and Fourth, in the Martin Building. The home is in the South Capitol Neighborhood National Historic District. It is inventoried, but not on the local register.

Olympia Heritage inventory

South Capitol Neighborhood National Historic District

Grand Parade of Progress – Best Photography Studio – 7/13/25
Looking Back’s theme for 2025 features Thurston County area photographers, artists, and their subjects. The Best Camera Shop sold cameras and film in the early to mid-20th century. In 1950, they expanded to a photographic studio staffed by photographers John Macaluso, Jay Jaycox, and Bruce Burkhart. The studio was launched just in time to capture…
July 13, 2025
James Offut by L. Wilson Clark – 7/6/25
Looking Back’s theme for 2025 features Thurston County area photographers, artists, and their subjects. L. Wilson Clark was a very early photographer in Olympia. His studio was on Main Street (now Capitol Way); he photographed subjects in Thurston and Pierce counties. Pictured here is settler James Offut also spelled Offutt) with a bundle of hops…
July 6, 2025
James Alden painting of early Olympia
Looking Back’s theme for 2025 features Thurston County area photographers, artists, and their subjects. James Madison Alden was an artist, topographer and junior officer aboard the U.S.S. Active for the U.S. Coast Survey. This watercolor is the earliest known image of Olympia, painted in 1857, looking north down what is now Capitol Way. The large building at…
June 29, 2025