Location: 1125 Washington St SE
Schools, mid-Century modern
Olympia High School on Capitol Way, 1920s, State Library Collection, Digital Archives |
Highway and Licensing Building now (2012), photo by Matt Kennelly |
The institution formally known as William Winlock Miller High School has existed at three locations. The second location, featured here, was built in 1919, on Capitol Way between 12th and 13th, on what is now East Capitol Campus. It was originally a three-story brick building with a parapet. An addition was built to the rear in 1926. The building was torn down in 1961 to make way for the Capitol Campus expansion.
The Highway and Licensing Building, just adjacent to the high school site, was one of two developed in the early 1960s to launch the development of the group of mid-Century buildings on the east side of Capitol Way. The other is the Employment Security Building seen in the background of the image at right. Its modern architecture, now termed New Formalism, marked a striking contrast with the more classically inspired buildings on the west side of Capitol Way.
A photograph available for viewing at the Digital Archives link below shows Olympia High School during the early construction phase of the Highway and Licensing building.
Addtional resources:
Washington State Historical Society (enter following catalog number in Collections Search box): C1982.18.29.14
Digital Archives photograph; photograph showing construction of Highway and Licensing Building with Olympia High School to rear
mid-Century modern Walking Tour
Copyright © 2022 Deborah Ross