Olympia Downtown Historic District Explained

Olympia Downtown Historic District
Nrhp Type:hd
Nocat:yes
Location:Olympia, Washington
Coordinates:47.0441°N -122.9003°W
Built:1853–1889
Architecture:Romanesque, Beaux-Arts
Added:September 15, 2004
Refnum:04001008

The Olympia Downtown Historic District is a historic district located in Olympia, Washington, the state's capital. The district, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2004, covers 17 blocks in downtown Olympia and includes 51 contributing properties.

The majority of buildings in Downtown Olympia were built between 1911 and 1930, decades after Washington gained statehood with Olympia as its capital city. Three earthquakes, in 1949, 1965 and 2001, damaged buildings in downtown Olympia.

Several properties in the historic district were designed by architect Joseph Wohleb, who hails from the area.

Buildings

Individual buildings in the historic district include the Hotel Olympian, the Old Capitol Building and Capitol Theater. All of these are within one or two blocks of Sylvester Park, also named as part of the district.[1]

Seven properties are landmarks in their own right and were already separately listed in the National Register:[1]

Notes and References

  1. (including maps, historic photos, and 31 photos from 2004) (text and photos also available from the National Park Service as and)