Winstanley House

Location: 127 17th Ave SW
Local register; South Capitol National Historic District

Winstanley House 1938, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives

Winstanley House today (2013), photo by Deb Ross

This house was built about 1910 by Guy Winstanley, who was a partner with Robert Blankenship in a downtown tobacco shop (see article Meet the Yantises and Blankenships). The shop was a popular gathering place for locals and politicians, and Winstanley served for a time on the Olympia City Council and an active member of the Elks. The house is built in the emerging Craftsman style and has a rather whimsical English Revival detailing at the second floor. As can be seen from comparing the two photographs above, it has been meticulously preserved. It is on the local register and in the South Capitol National Historic District.

Additional resources:

Olympia Heritage inventory

South Capitol National Historic District

Cora Pinson – 12/1/24
Looking Back’s theme for 2024 is Many Streams, celebrating our rich and diverse history. In 1988 Olympia voters helped make history when they elected local community organizer Cora Pinson, pictured here, to the City Council. She was the first African American woman to hold such a position in Washington State. Pinson served on the Olympia…
December 1, 2024
Barb O’Neill: 11/24/24
Looking Back’s theme for 2024 is Many Streams, celebrating our rich and diverse history Barbara O’Neill was a commanding presence in our area for many years. While operating a soul food restaurant on Fourth Avenue, she instituted a practice of providing free holiday meals for those in need. The tradition continued after her death, with…
November 24, 2024
The Bean family – 11/17/24
Looking Back’s theme for 2024 is Many Streams, celebrating our rich and diverse history. Jacob Bean immigrated to Olympia from Russia in 1902, bringing with him his family’s Torah (first five books of the Hebrew Bible). He, his wife Mollie, and their son Earl owned the business now known as Olympia Supply, still in existence in…
November 17, 2024