Location: 410 Sherman St NW Local register; Diversity: Scandinavians Olof Anderson House, 1953, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Olof Anderson House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross This large colonial revival house was built in 1935 by Olof Anderson, the youngest of the Anderson brothers who emigrated from Sweden and founded Tumwater Lumber Mills (TLM). TLM…
Location: 116 4th Ave E National Downtown Historic District, Local register, Wohleb Olympia Cafe, 1914, photo by Robert Esterly, courtesy of Washington State Historical Society Baretich building today (2012), photo by Deb Ross Since Olympia’s beginnings, there have been small but popular commercial establishments along Fourth Avenue, including numerous cafes and bars. The Olympia Cafe…
Location: 222 5th Ave SE mid-Century modern; National Register, State Heritage Register; Downtown National Historic District Capital Savings and Loan Building 1964, Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation files Capital Savings and Loan Building today (2014), photo by Deb Ross Inspired by the 1963 World’s Fair in Seattle, the local firm of Sibold and Nesland…
Location: 410 5th Ave NW mid-Century modern Capitol Center Building late 1960s, Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation collection Capitol Center Building in 2014 before remodeling (2014), photo by Deb Ross Widely criticized for a time, for its obstructing views and deteriorating condition, the Capitol Center Building was at one time the feather in local…
Location: Water Street and Legion Way mid-Century modern; Diversity: gay and lesbian history Capitol Lake Restrooms, undated, Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation collection Capitol Lake restrooms today (2014), photo by Deb Ross In late 1960, a civic group was formed named the Committee for the 60s, to study and recommend possible capital improvement projects…
Location: 201 Union Ave SE Heritage Tree O’Brien home in the background, 1949, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Centennial Park today (2014), photo by Deb Ross Rossell O’Brien, an Irish immigrant, fought in the Civil War, and arrived in Olympia in 1870, appointed as revenue collector under Governor Salomon. He married Fanny Steele, daughter of…
Location: 201 8th Ave SE Religious institutions; Diversity: Jewish heritage Christian Science church, 1961, courtesy Washington State Historical Society Temple Beth Hatfiloh (Christian Science building) today (2014), photo by Deb Ross A group of Christian Science students began to meet in Olympia early in the 20th century. According to historian Bernice Sapp, they met in the…
Location: 2129 4th Ave E Religious institutions Church of the Brethren congregation, in front of their original building at this location, in about 1911, used by permission Church of the Brethren building today (2015), photo by Deb Ross The Christian denomination Church of the Brethren, sometimes referred to as the Dunker Church, was founded in Germany in 1708.…
Location: 311 19th St SE Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Cunningham House, 1941, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Cunninghan House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Cunningham House is an unusual and beautifully preserved example of an Art Moderne style home in the South Capitol neighborhood. G.B. Reishus was the architect for the home, which…
Location: 119 22nd Ave SW Local register; South Capitol National Historic District L.E. Dawley House, 1956, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives L.E. Dawley House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross This beautifully maintained Spanish Colonial home was built in about 1929 by Leo E. Dawley, one of the two Dawley Brothers contractors who were responsible for many…
Location: 515 Adams St SE Deane Apartments, 1964, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Deane Apartments today (2014), photo by Deb Ross This handsome Mission-style apartment building was erected in 1935, and has changed very little since then. It is known for the palm trees that complement the tropical appearance of the building. Additional resources: Olympia Heritage inventory Looking…
Location: 7th Avenue and Adams St Farquhar Store, Jeffers Photograph of earlier drawing of unknown date, Susan Parish Photograph Collection, 1889-1990, Washington State Archives Farquhar site today (2014), photo by Deb Ross Alexander Farquhar immigrated from Scotland and settled in Olympia in 1858. He worked for several years for Charles Williams at the Olympia Hardware Store, then…
Location: 701 Franklin St SE Religious institutions; Wohleb; Local register First Christian around 1897, from Lawson, 100 Years of Christian Witness. First Christian Church today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Disciples of Christ (also known as Christian) denomination arrived in Thurston County in the very earliest years of American settlement, when the Longmire family founded a…
Location: 1224 Legion Way SE mid-Century modern; Religious institutions; Landmark Tree First United Methodist Church around 1952, photo from First United Methodist website First United Methodist Church today (2013) photograph by Deb Ross The church building located at the corner of Boundary Street and Legion Way is the third purpose-built location of the First United…
Location: 513 Flora Vista Dr NE Women’s history; Religious institutions Five Firs (lower right, cropped from photo that includes Floravista bulb farm), 1947, courtesy Kathy Farr Five Firs Point today (2014) photograph by Deb Ross In the late 19th and early 20th century, it was not uncommon for Olympia’s social elite to own summer homes or land…
Location: 1717 Jefferson St SE Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Fleming House, 1942, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Fleming House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Fleming House was built about 1941 for John Gragg, a member of the Olympia Veneer cooperative. It was bought shortly after by the Fleming family, who owned Fleming-Harvey Motors…
Location: 1908 Washington St SE Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Gust and Nanny Forsberg House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Gust and Nanny Forsberg House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Gust and Nanny Forsberg House is a good and well-maintained example of the English Builder style, built about 1936. Forsberg was…
Location: 1431 Legion Way SE Local register; Religious institutions Free Methodist church, 1961, courtesy Washington State Historical Society Free Methodist Church building today (2013) photograph by Deb Ross The Free Methodist Christian denomination was founded in the 1860s as an offshoot of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The denomination is considered more conservative and evangelical than…
Location: 213 4th Ave E Downtown National Historic District, Wohleb, Transportation 4th Avenue looking east, mid 1940s, with Gottfeld’s halfway down on right, Private Postcard Collection Gottfeld’s Building today (2012) photograph by Matt Kennelly The Gottfeld Building was erected in 1908 by local businessmen Millard Lemon and Henry Mallory (see also Mallory House). In later…
Location: 107 7th Ave SE Transportation; Diversity: Jewish heritage; National Downtown Historic District Parade for dead Spanish-American war soldiers, 1900, with Harris house in background, photo courtesy of Washington State Historical Society Greyhound station today (2013), photo by Deb Ross The Isaac Harris house was built in 1880 at an important location on the…
Location: 1027 4th Ave E Grimm Brothers brickyard, ca. 1880, State Library Collection Le May Market building now (2013) photograph by Deb Ross Brickyards existed in and around Olympia from its earliest days. Early bricks were made by mining the extensive clay beds around Olympia’s shores, molding them, building wooden kilns to hold them…
Location: 3008 Lorne St SE Local register Hamley House, 1941, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Hamley House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Hamley House was built in 1940 for Frederick Hamley, a lawyer, public official, and judge. While most of his professional career was in Seattle and later on in San Francisco as…
Location: 1675 Marine Drive NE mid-Century modern Jacaranda Restaurant about 1983, City of Olympia Planning Department, Washington State Archives Anthony’s Hearthfire today (2020), courtesy Anthony’s For the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, the Douglas Fir Plywood Association created a model home called the Century 21 Plywood Home of Living Light. After the fair was…
Location: 500 Washington St SE Local, State and National Registers, Downtown National Historic District, Wohleb Jeffers Building around 1914, photograph by Joe Jeffers, courtesy of Washington State Historical Society Jeffers Building today (2012), photo by Matt Kennelly The Jeffers Building, erected in 1913 on the corner of Washington and Fifth Avenue, is one of the first,…
Location: 218 19th St SW South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Hugh Jeffers House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Hugh Jeffers House today (2015), photo by Deb Ross The Hugh Jeffers House is one of many in this neighborhood using the Tumwater Lumber Mills precut designs. It is in one of their pleasingly symmetrical Dutch Colonial styles, built in…
Location: 2109 East Bay Drive NE Local register?, Wohleb Joseph Jeffers House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Joseph Jeffers House today (2015), photo by Deb Ross Joseph Jeffers arrived in Olympia as an infant and took an interest in photography from a very early age. He established his own studio in 1904, and hired preeminent architect Joseph Wohleb to…
Location: 430 Percival St NW Local register Kelly House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Kelly House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Kelly House is one of several homes on Percival and nearby streets in the northwest neighborhood that were built about the same time by Tumwater Lumber Mills (TLM). TLM was founded by the Andersen brothers…
Location: 1700 Marine Drive NE mid-Century modern; Wohleb; National Register (accepted Oct 2024) KGY Building, 1960s, KGY Archives KGY Building today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The KGY Building is one of the city’s most distinctive mid-Century modern buildings. The radio station is one of the oldest in the United States, licensed in 1916. It was originally run…
Location: 424 Rogers St NW local register, Rogers Street Historic District Lassen House, 1937, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Lassen House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Lassen House is one of five homes on Rogers Street Northwest that were built about the same time by Tumwater Lumber Mills (TLM). TLM was founded by the…
Location: 118 19th Ave SW Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Elizabeth and Ralph Lee House, ca. 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Elizabeth and Ralph Lee House today (2018), photo by City of Olympia This Dutch Colonial style home was built some time between 1909 and 1924 in the South Capitol Neighborhood. It…
Location: 420 Carlyon St SE Local register Lucas House, 1953, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Lucas House today (2018), photo by City of Olympia This home in the Carlyon neighborhood is a well-preserved example of a Tudor Revival cottage, common to the area. The home was built in 1926; it is well maintained and on the…
Location: 301 5th Ave E Popular culture Mann’s Seeds Building, 1964, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Mann’s Seeds Building today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The utilitarian structure at the corner of Franklin and Fifth was built in 1945 and housed Mann’s Seeds. According to historian Bernice Sapp, this was the location of the home…
Location: Deschutes Parkway Women’s History The first women’s marathon trials, 1984, courtesy The Olympian Marathon Park today (2014), photo by Deb Ross Marathon Park, first created in 1970 out of fill that extended the park into Capitol Lake, was renamed to commemorate an historic event. In 1981, the International Olympia Committee finally decided to introduce a women’s…
Location: 1015 4th Ave SW mid-Century modern Perspective of Medical Arts Building, about 1962, Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation Medical Arts Building today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Medical Arts Building was commissioned in 1962 by doctors E.V. Olson and William Bigelow. It was completed in 1966. The building was adjacent to St. Peter’s Hospital on…
Location: 1006 4th Ave NE mid-Century modern Metropolitan Life Insurance Building 1960s, Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation files Metropolitan Life Insurance Building (Crain’s Office Supply) today (2014), photo by Deb Ross This small Miesian style building was designed in 1958 by architect Kenneth Ripley and served as the Olympia office of Metropolitan Life until…
Location: 3811 Pifer Rd SE Local register; Women’s History Moore House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Moore House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross John and Olivia Moore built this unusual stucco bungalow in 1927. At the time, the location on Pifer Road was far in the outskirts of Olympia, past the Cloverfield farm. John…
Location: 510 O’Farrell St SE Local register A vintage photograph has not been located; if you have one to share, please contact us Paul and Catherine Neuffer house today (2013) photo by Deb Ross This home, built about 1922, was one of the first residences built in the new Wildwood subdivision, which was…
Location: 116 5th Avenue Downtown National Historic District Proffitt’s Department Store, 1970, Susan Parish Collection, Washington State Archives New Caldonia building today (2017) photograph by Deb Ross According to its owner, the building now called the New Caldonia building was the site of the Caledonia Hotel in the 1870s. By 1914 it was the home…
Location: 2112 Capitol Way S Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Munson House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Munson House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Munson House was built in 1924 by the Munson family. Fred G. Munson was a member of a prominent Olympia pioneer family (see Munson store). He owned a drug…
Location: 428 Rogers St NW local register, Rogers Street Historic District Paine House, 1937, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Paine House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Paine House is one of five homes on Rogers Street Northwest that were built about the same time by Tumwater Lumber Mills (TLM). TLM was founded by the…
Location: 418 Rogers St NW local register, Rogers Street Historic District Potts House, 1937, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Potts House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Potts House is one of five homes on Rogers Street Northwest that were built about the same time by Tumwater Lumber Mills (TLM). TLM was founded by the…
Location: 1502 Columbia St SW South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood; Women’s History Preston House, 1937, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Preston House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Josephine Corliss Preston House was erected in 1907, a well-preserved Craftsman style house in the South Capitol Neighborhood, very close to Capitol Campus. The house is associated with Josephine…
Location: 311 4th Ave E Local register; Popular culture Rabeck Music Store (in next block to the east), Piano Trade Magazine, 1915 Rabeck Music Store building today (2014), photo by Deb Ross Ammon T. Rabeck arrived in Olympia in 1888, and after working in the mills for several years, opened up a small organ store at the…
Location: 1908 4th Ave E mid-Century modern Ralph’s Thriftway, 1958, Susan Parish Collection, Southwest Regional Archives Ralph’s Thriftway today (2014), photo by Deb Ross Ralph’s Thriftway opened at its present location between Fourth and State Avenues in 1956. It was a showcase for the very latest in grocery stores. It was also one of the largest stores…
Location: 1130 East Bay Drive NE Raymond House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Raymond House today (2015) photograph by Deb Ross Perched on a bluff overlooking Budd Inlet, the Raymond House was built in 1922 by George Raymond, a contractor, to serve as his own residence. The stucco facade of this bungalow is relatively unusual for…
Location: 423 Washington St SE Downtown National Historic District, Popular Culture Ray Theatre, 1914, Robert Esterly photo courtesy of Washington State Historical Society Timberland Bank building today (2012) photograph from Timberland Bank website In about 1914, the Zabel family, who owned several theaters downtown, built the Ray Theatre here, pictured at above left, at the corner…
Location: 1617 Capitol Way S South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood; Women’s History Mustard House, 1936, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Mustard House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Mustard House on Capitol Way in the South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood is one of the most prominent homes in the neighborhood. Designed in the Queen Anne style, it…
Location: 600 Franklin St SE Religious communities; Downtown National Historic District; mid-Century modern First Presbyterian Church and manse, Franklin Street around 1891, Olympia Tribune Souvenir Edition, Washington State Library Sears Building in 2003, photograph by Ed Echtle (2003) The First Presbyterian Church was the first church in Olympia, and the first Presbyterian church north of…
Location: 210 5th Ave SW mid-Century modern Seattle First National Building 1960s, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Seattle First National (Bank of America) Building today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Seattle First National Bank Building in downtown Olympia is similar to a building erected in the Denny neighborhood in Seattle for the…
Location: 114 4th Ave E National Downtown Historic District, Local register, Wohleb Oxford Saloon, 1914, photo by Robert Esterly, courtesy of Washington State Historical Society The Spar today (2012), photo by Deb Ross There has been a restaurant or saloon at this location in downtown Olympia since 1860. The current occupant,…
Location: 202 4th Ave E National Downtown Historic District; Wohleb; Popular culture; mid-Century modern Thurston County Courthouse-4th Avenue, 1905, postcard private collection State Theatre today (2003), photo by Ed Echtle The northeast corner of Fourth and Washington was once occupied by a wooden structure built in about 1853, at a time when the center of…
Location: 110 Eleventh Ave SE Religious institutions United Churches of Olympia, around 1960, United Churches of Olympia collection United Churches of Olympia today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The United Churches of Olympia is a federated congregation of the First Congregational Church of Olympia and the First Presbyterian Church of Olympia. Both of these institutions are…
Location: 137 Sherman St NW Local register, Women’s history Samuel Ward House, 1970, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Samuel Ward House today (2009), photo by Deb Ross The Samuel Ward House was built by a member of the pioneer Ward family, who owned a lumber mill on the Deschutes River in Tumwater. The home was built…
Location: 432 Rogers St NW local register, Rogers Street Historic District Ward Levenhagen House, 1937, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Ward Levenhagen House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Ward Levenhagen House is one of five homes on Rogers Street Northwest that were built about the same time by Tumwater Lumber Mills (TLM). TLM was…
Location: 1801 4th Ave E Warmoth House, 1966, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Warmoth House today (2015), photo by Deb Ross The Warmoth House was erected by George Warmoth, a railroad freight operator, in 1910. It is built in an interesting and unique combination of Prairie and Craftsman styles, earning it a place in Olympia’s inventory. It…
Location: 202 9th Ave SW Warnica and Warnica Building, 1966, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Warnica and Warnica Building today (2015), photo by Deb Ross This building was erected as a mortuary by A.O. Warnica and his son Earl, in 1923. The Warnicas arrived here in 1905. Except for the enclosing in of the diagonal porch…
Location: 915 Capitol Way S local register; Wohleb; transportation Rear view of Weidner Auto Court, on 10th Avenue, 1965, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Weidner Auto Court buildings today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Pacific Highway in Washington State was designated in 1910, at the advent of the automobile age, to connect the cities of…
Location: 2822 Capitol Way SE mid-Century modern, Wohleb, Transportation Wildwood Building, 1950, advertisement in Olympia Centennial Souvenir program, Southwest Regional Archives Wildwood Building today (2013) photo by Deb Ross The Wildwood Building (also known as the G.C. Valley Shopping Center) was the first shopping center built in Olympia, in 1938. The building was designed for…
Location: 313 Quince St SE Local register We have not located a vintage photograph of this home.If you have one to share, please contact us. Wiman/Jackson House today (2014) photo by Deb Ross The Wiman/Jackson House was built before 1887 in what is now known as the Bigelow neighborhood on Olympia’s east side. (Thurston County assessor…
Location: 436 Rogers St NW local register, Rogers Street Historic District Winters House, 1937, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Winters House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Winters House is one of five homes on Rogers Street Northwest that were built about the same time by Tumwater Lumber Mills (TLM). TLM was founded by the…
Location: 222 4th Ave W National Downtown Historic District Parrott and Harter, Wright Building, 1914, photo by Robert Esterly, courtesy of Washington State Historical Society Wright building today (2012), photo by Deb Ross The Wright Building at the corner of Water Street and Fourth Avenue was constructed in 1908 and was one of the…
