Location: 718 Governor Stevens Ave SE
Local register
Watkins House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives |
Watkins House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross |
In the early 1920s, Olof Anderson, one of the brothers who owned Tumwater Lumber Mills, platted this part of Olympia out of the original plat created by Kate Stevens Bates from the Cloverfields Farm property. Several homes in this area, including this one, are Tumwater Lumber Mills pre-cut homes. It is in their popular English Revival style, built around 1926. For more information on the Tumwater Lumber Mills, see the Harmon House listing.
The home was built by OA and Bertha Watkins. OA was an agent for the Northern Pacific Railroad. In 1938 Robert and Jeanette Schmidt purchased the house. Robert, a member of the Schmidt family that established the Olympia Brewing Company, worked his way up the ladder at the brewery, eventually becoming president of the company. (See also Robert Schmidt House, where the Schmidts lived later on)
The home is on the local register.
Links:
For more information on the Schmidt family, see the Residents section of this website.
Copyright © 2022 Deborah Ross