Historic Tacoma

08/19/2026

Summer is flying by, but we still have time to get out and celebrate our city's incredible history! ☀️🏛️

Did you know that the North Slope Historic District is Tacoma's very first residential historic district—and one of the largest in the entire state, boasting around 1,000 contributing historic homes?

Back in 1993, local residents grew worried as they watched their historic streetscapes disappear block by block. Determined to protect their neighborhood, they formed the North Slope Neighborhood Coalition. Partnering with then City Historic Preservation Officer Valerie Sivinski, neighbors went door-to-door rallying support to establish a historic district that could put a stop to ongoing demolitions. Their grassroots efforts successfully created the North J Street Historic District by 1995, which expanded over the next several years until the entire neighborhood earned its well-deserved place on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Today, taking a stroll under the leafy canopy of N Street or Prospect Avenue feels just like stepping back into Tacoma's Gilded Age. You will find grand Queen Annes with wrap-around porches, sturdy Craftsman bungalows, and charming worker cottages—all built between 1880 and 1953.

This remarkable district exists because ordinary neighbors believed their streets were worth fighting for. That exact grassroots spirit is what Historic Tacoma proudly carries into our advocacy work today.

🔍 Ready to explore? Check out our free self-guided walking tour info athttps://historictacoma.org/media/dynamic/files/245_North_Slope_Final-compressed.pdf and discover even more tours on our website.

What's your favorite North Slope home style? Drop it in the comments below! 👇

08/13/2026

Many of the beautiful historic places we love and walk past every day are only here because community members chose to speak up. 🏛️💬

Right now, a proposed rewrite of the federal regulations that implement Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act could significantly weaken safeguards for our historic buildings, neighborhoods, and cultural resources. If these changes go through, they will drastically reduce opportunities for public input, meaning everyday citizens will have less of a voice when federal decisions impact the places that tell our shared story.

Preservation advocates across the country are deeply concerned. Washington Trust for Historic Preservation notes that these changes could mean fewer projects get reviewed and fewer local perspectives are taken into consideration in the process. At Historic Tacoma, we firmly believe that historic places deserve a seat at the table. Section 106 has been one of our nation's most vital preservation tools, and it is worth defending.

If you've ever wondered whether one person can make a difference, the answer is yes. Learning more is the first step.
📖 You can read the full breakdown and see how to get involved at: https://preservewa.org/fighting-for-section-106/

08/06/2026

Happy (early) National Lighthouse Day, Tacoma! 🗼✨

This Friday, August 7, is National Lighthouse Day, and we couldn't let it pass without celebrating one of Tacoma's most beloved coastal landmarks: Browns Point Lighthouse Park!

Did you know the first light at Browns Point was lit on December 12, 1887—two years before Washington even became a state? It wasn't a traditional lighthouse at all, but a simple lantern mounted on a white post just 12 feet above sea level. At high tide, the keeper had to row out by boat to tend it, while a contract keeper traveled from Tacoma each week to clean the lens, refill the fuel, and trim the wick.

In 1903, a wooden lighthouse and keeper's cottage were built, and the station's first resident keeper, Oscar Brown, arrived alongside his wife Annie. They settled on what was then a remote shoreline with no roads, electricity, or running water. Annie planted beautiful cottage gardens that continue to bloom today, while Oscar kept the light shining through every kind of Puget Sound weather.

The sleek Art Deco lighthouse we know today was completed in 1933. Standing 38 feet tall, it is one of only a handful of Art Deco lighthouses in the entire country!

The light remains an active aid to navigation guiding vessels into Commencement Bay and the Port of Tacoma, while the 1903 keeper's cottage, boathouse, and grounds are lovingly cared for by Parks Tacoma and the Points Northeast Historical Society. The tower itself was beautifully restored in 2021, ensuring this maritime treasure inspires generations to come.

If you’re looking for a delightful summer outing, take a stroll along the point, soak in the views across the bay, tour the historic keeper's cottage, and connect with Tacoma's rich maritime history!
📍 Browns Point Lighthouse Park
201 Tulalip St. NE, Tacoma
🔗 Plan your visit: https://www.parkstacoma.gov/place/browns-point-lighthouse-park/

08/05/2026

This weekend! Our friends at the Tacoma Historical Society are hosting their Living History Cemetery Tours—Friday and Saturday, August 8 & 9. Generously sponsored by Tacoma Creates.
🎟️ Details & tickets: tacomahistory.ludus.com/200539230

Tacoma Historical Society and New Tacoma Cemeteries are excited to announce our annual Living History Cemetery Tour! Walk Tacoma's oldest cemetery, and listen to living history reenactors portraying some of Tacoma's most memorable past citizens.

08/04/2026

Standing Tall Since 1931: The Story Behind Tacoma's Municipal Building 🏛️

Have you ever looked up at the gorgeous Art Deco tower at 740 St. Helens Ave. and wondered about its story? Today it’s the Tacoma Municipal Building, but it originally opened as the Rhodes Medical Arts Building—one of our city's most ambitious projects and a lasting symbol of Tacoma's resilience.

Completed in 1930 and dedicated in 1931, the 17-story, 233-foot tower was designed by famed architect John Graham, Sr. in partnership with Tacoma’s own Heath, Gove & Bell. It was the first integrated medical complex on the Pacific Coast, bringing together 150 doctors' offices, a small hospital, an auditorium, and parking for 175 cars under a single roof.

Even more remarkable? The tower rose during the depths of the Great Depression. Construction employed 750 local workers and cost nearly $2 million, earning it the nickname "The Spirit of 1931" as a beacon of hope and progress for our community.

Step inside and you’ll find one of the finest Art Deco interiors on the West Coast. The grand lobby features a dramatic three-story circular black granite staircase, rose Tavarnelle marble from Italy, black marble from Belgium, a spectacular 35-foot bronze-and-glass light fixture, and ceilings leafed in three shades of gold. Outside, the cast-stone ornament was crafted right on-site using colored sand and gravel—making the artwork literally part of the building itself.

The City of Tacoma purchased the building in 1977, and it has served as City Hall ever since. However, nearly a century of Pacific Northwest weather—along with harsh sandblasting in past decades—has worn down its protective stone surface. A full exterior restoration is estimated at over $20 million, and the City is tackling the preservation in phases.

Historic Tacoma is proud to support this essential work. We recently submitted a letter of support for the City’s Heritage Capital Project Grant application because places like this are so much more than brick and stone—they're part of Tacoma’s heart and deserve to be protected for generations to come.

📍 Learn more about the preservation project: https://tacoma.gov/project/tacoma-municipal-building-exterior-preservation-project/

Share this post with a neighbor and follow us to stay in the loop on Tacoma’s historic places! ❤️

07/31/2026

Happy Friday, Tacoma!

The summer weekend is perfect for wandering — so why not spend some of it getting to know the city's history a little better?

Our self-guided tours are a great way to explore Tacoma's historic neighborhoods at your own pace, whether you've got a couple hours or the whole weekend. Grab a friend, lace up your walking shoes, and let the buildings tell their stories. 🏛️🚶‍♀️
👉 historictacoma.org/tours
See you out there!

07/29/2026

Ever wonder what Historic Tacoma is working on behind the scenes? 🏛️

Advocating for Tacoma's rich architectural heritage and vibrant neighborhoods takes a lot of heart, collaboration, and persistent work behind the scenes. Here's a quick peek at some of the projects our board and volunteers have been up to over the last few months!

🌳 Union Avenue Greenway Nomination: Momentum going! After connecting with city leaders and addressing maintenance questions with the Infrastructure, Planning, and Sustainability Committee, this nomination is moving forward to City Council. It's exciting to see this project progress.

🏛️ The Historic Cushman Substation: We're continuing to advocate for the adaptive reuse of one of Tacoma's most significant historic sites. Members of our board and the Cushman Commons group are engaging directly with city leadership. We believe this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to preserve an important piece of not only Tacoma's but also our national public utility heritage, while creating a lasting community legacy.

🌿 Ferry Park Nomination: Fine-tuning continues! You might remember we're pursuing landmark designation for Tacoma's very first public park. We've received feedback from Parks Tacoma and the Historic Preservation Office and are now refining the paperwork. This little half-acre tells a big story, and we want to make sure it's protected for future generations.

🏘️ Looking Ahead: We're also hearing from more neighborhoods lately who want to explore what a historic district designation could look like for their area, and how historic preservation tools can help strengthen commercial districts, historic corridors, and neighborhood identity. Those conversations often happen quietly, but they're where future preservation efforts begin.

Preservation advocacy often happens quietly — research, paperwork, meetings, letters, phone calls, and a lot of relationship-building. Want to help us keep doing this work? Follow along, spread the word, and consider a donation — every bit helps us protect the places that make Tacoma, Tacoma. 💛

07/23/2026

The Tacoma School District's Central Administration Building wasn't always a quiet hub for offices and boardrooms. When the cornerstone was laid in late 1912, the brand-new Central Elementary School was celebrated as one of the most advanced and largest schools in the entire West. It was masterfully brought to life by Frederick Heath and his partner George Gove—the architectural minds behind Stadium High School, the Tacoma Public Library, and many iconic structures here.

If you take a stroll down South 8th Street today, it’s impossible to miss that bold Collegiate Gothic Revival style. The building commands the block with its steep gables, intricate red brickwork, warm sandstone trimming, and a towering eight-story central peak that quietly declares this place matters.

Designed with the cutting-edge educational philosophies of the era, it featured a famous "open-air" classroom on the top floor to let fresh, healing Pacific Northwest breeze flow through for children battling tuberculosis. To make things even more futuristic for 1912, every single classroom was wired with a direct telephone line to the principal’s office.

The building served generations of local children before transitioning into school district administration in the late 1960s. In 2010, the community wrapped its arms around the structure by officially adding it to the Tacoma Register of Historic Places, honoring not just its physical beauty but its deep legacy in shaping public education.

Right now, this neighborhood treasure is undergoing a major, multi-year building renovation. The project is thoughtfully preserving its historic exterior craftsmanship while renewing the inside with modern infrastructure, ensuring this landmark stands strong for another century.

Have a memory of Central Elementary, or a favorite Frederick Heath building in Tacoma? Drop it in the comments — we love hearing your stories.* 🏛️

07/21/2026

A New Chapter for the Historic Bone Dry Shoe Building — 2111-2115 Pacific Ave 👢

Some buildings just have a way of sticking around for the long haul — and this one’s story starts with a glove maker with a good eye for opportunity.

Back in 1918, Tacoma glove maker Thomas O. Johnson bought out a Seattle logging boot company. Rather than keep things up north, he moved the whole operation down to Tacoma’s bustling warehouse district and rebranded the business "Bone Dry Shoes," crafting "high-quality outer wear" for the working people of the Pacific Northwest for four decades.

Designed by the prominent local firm Hill, Mock, and Griffin and built by the Cornell Brothers in 1919, the building was an early adopter of reinforced concrete for its exterior bearing walls, blending it with beautiful, heavy timber post-and-beam construction. The building wasn’t just for boots! When it opened, the upper floors hummed with shoe-making machinery, while the street level was leased to the Adams Brake Lining Company—making it a one-stop shop for keeping both your feet and your early automobile from slipping!

After a major rehabilitation in 2000, the building spent the next 25 years as the headquarters of McGranahan Architects, the creative team behind the Tacoma Dome.

Now, it’s entering its next era in the hands of Centerforce, who will occupy 6,000 square feet and lease out the rest — keeping this historic gem a living, working part of downtown Tacoma for years to come.

What’s your favorite memory of this stretch of Pacific Avenue? Let us know in the comments! 👇

07/19/2026

🍦 Happy National Ice Cream Day, Tacoma! 🍦

How would you beat the summer heat over a century ago? By getting a scoop of Mt. Tacoma Ice Cream! Just look at these vintage ads from The News Tribune back in 1924. Talk about some truly wild "Week-End Specials" made right here in town by the Royal Ice Cream Company.

Choosing this brand wasn't just about taste—it was a delicious protest. While Seattle insisted on calling our 14,411-foot neighbor "Mount Rainier," Tacoma boosters fought back by slapping the historic name "Mt. Tacoma" on everything they could, including our favorite frozen treats!🏔️

A hundred years later, the mountain's official name might have settled a different way—but the spirit of grabbing a cold, "rich in butter fat" treat on a hot summer Sunday? That one never changes.

What’s your favorite local spot for a Sunday scoop? 👇🍨