Location: 520 Union Ave SE
mid-Century modern
First home of Washington State Employees Credit Union, 1968, Susan Parish Collection, Washington State Archives |
First home of Washington State Employees Credit Union today (now Secretary of State) (2012) photograph by Matt Kennelly |
The following description of this building is taken from Michael Houser’s submission to the “What Was There” website:
Reminiscent of the work of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian houses of the 1950s, the Washington State Employees Credit Union Building presented a different approach to bank architecture in Olympia in 1968. Like many Wright structures, the building looked inward. Patrons originally approached the bank via a series of covered floating breezeways (now partially enclosed). Once inside, they were welcomed by a light filled atrium.
The building now houses the Secretary of State’s Elections Division.
Additional links:
Digital Archives image above left
What Was There entry for the building
City of Olympia mid-Century modern Context Statement (page 19)
Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation inventory
Copyright © 2022 Deborah Ross