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: 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…
Mark Foutch For the remainder of 2002, the Olympia Historical Society continued the process of “standing up” its permanent organization while performing its mission and responding to opportunities. Members elected a Board of Directors, who in turn adopted staggered Board terms and elected officers and adopted a budget for the following year. There were three…
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…
Mark Foutch The first two chapters of this history described the Society’s early organizing efforts beginning in 2001, leading to formalizing the organization and its incorporation in February 2002. At the Society’s next two meetings the group began to change its focus as it scheduled public activities and offered historical information resources online, while…
By Mark Foutch, President Incorporation, Bylaws and Progress (If the exploratory and organizational meetings of 2001 could be considered “conception” and “birth,” then early in 2002 the Olympia Historical Society was “confirmed” and took its first steps. And suddenly the “toddler” had lots of great ideas. The challenge would be to choose among them and…
Background: For many decades Olympia was content to depend on the State Capital Museum for its local history venue and a place to store many of its important historical assets. In the early ‘90s it appeared that the Art Deco Thurston County Courthouse on Capitol Way would be torn down and a State History Museum…
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: 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: 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…
