Location: 511 7th Ave SE
Popular culture
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Track House party, about 1996, courtesy Pat Castaldo |
Track House after fire, March 2023, Photograph courtesy of Deb Ross |
The Track House, so called due to its proximity to the railroad tracks adjacent to the house, was likely built in the late 19th century and moved to this location on 7th Avenue near Jefferson Street some time between 1939 and 1945. In the 1990s it became a venue for music parties featuring Olympia’s Indie music scene. The home was purchased in about 2002 by an area dentist who owns several homes in Olympia, many painted black, and hence dubbed the Black Houses. The building continued to serve as a residence and performance venue through the early decades of the 21st century. It burned down in March 2023.
Links to more information:
Cooper Point Journal article, Track House Changes Hands after Years of Shows, April 2015
Impose Magazine, The Storied History of Olympia’s Track House, undated
Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation listing
Copyright © 2023 Deborah Ross