Bettman Store second site

Location: 410 Capitol Way S
National Downtown Historic District, Diversity: Jewish Heritage

Bettman Store around 1885, Image courtesy of Washington State Historical Society

Bettman Store site today, Photo courtesy of Matthew Kennelly

Louis Bettman came to Olympia in 1853 and, along with his brothers Mose and Sig, opened his general merchandise store soon afterwards, at the northern end of Main Street (now Capitol Way) (see Bettman Store first site). After taking over as sole proprietor, he later moved to this site, then as now the most important commercial block in Olympia. The wooden structure burned, along with the other stores in this block, in 1882, and was replaced by this brick structure. The Bettmans also built the Bettman Block on Fourth Avenue, at one time the site of their residence, as well as the Bettman-Oppenheimer House. The store bore the Bettman name until the 1970s. It was damaged during the 1949 earthquake.

Further information:

Washington State Historical Society photographs, enter the following catalog number in collection search box: C1982.18.30.12 (above picture); C1996.6.18 (earthquake)

Olympia Downtown National Historic District

For more information on Bettman family, see listing for Bettman Block; also Residents section of this website.