ca. 1925. The Washington Building under construction. Construction on the modern American skyscraper in downtown Tacoma began in 1919 for the Scandinavian American bank, but halted a couple of years later when the bank closed. The steel structure sat deserted until it was completed in 1925 for the Washington-California Co. and dedicated on June 29, 1925. At 17 stories, it was the second tallest building in the Northwest. (WSHS)

Washington Building (Tacoma); Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1925. Washington Building at 1019 Pacific Ave. and on the left, the Rust building at 950 Pacific Ave.The Washington Building was finished in 1925. At 17 stories, it was the second tallest building in the Northwest. The Rust building measures in at 12 stories. It is named after its builder William R. Rust. (WSHS-negative A695-0)

Washington Building (Tacoma); Rust Building (Tacoma);

Tacoma Club. Facilities on 17th Floor of Washington Building. Hallway opening off elevators. Two mirror tables accent the walls between the three elevator doors. Photograph ordered by the Tacoma Times for coverage of the Club's Grand Opening May 10, 1937. (WSHS)

Tacoma Club (Tacoma); Clubs--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Interior of new facilities for The Tacoma Club on the 17th Floor of the Washington Building. President, John P. Weyerhaeuser, Jr. Dining room with cloth-covered tables and modern chairs. The Grand Opening for the new club was held May 10, 1937.

Tacoma Club (Tacoma); Dining rooms--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Gathering of men at the Tacoma Club in the Washington Building to celebrate Sam Perkins 73rd birthday. Group of men seated and standing around dinner table, Perkins far left; Mayor Smitley third from left.

Tacoma Club (Tacoma); Perkins, S.A.--Commemoration; Birthday parties--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Electrical Products Consolidated manufactured signs. They also manufactured street lights in the downtown Tacoma area. View of Mobilgas sign above the Washington Building, lights through building windows.

Electric signs--Tacoma--1940-1950; Electric lighting--Tacoma; Electrical Products Consolidated (Tacoma); Mobilgas;

Northwest Door Company was one of the leading plywood companies in Tacoma, they manufactured plywood panels and doors. Herman E. Tenzler was the President of Northwest, the plywood plant was located at 1203 East D Street. View of Ken Pryor, salesman for Northwest Door Company, at his desk in office number 916 in the Washington Building.

Sales personnel--Tacoma; Business people--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950; Offices--Tacoma--1940-1950; Plywood; Northwest Door Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Pryor, Kenneth G.; Washington Building (Tacoma);

Philip H. Fisher received a four-year scholarship of $300 annually to the University of Washington based on his scholastic record in August of 1952. The scholarship was provided by Fred C. Shanaman, president of Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company, to a son or daughter of a company employee. Congratulating Philip at the Tacoma Club are, L-R, Fred C. Shanaman, Philip H. Fisher, Harry S. Fisher, Philip's father, and Kenneth C. Jones, superintendent of Federal Way High School where Philip was a student. (TNT, 9/12/1952, p.A-8)

Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Co. of Washington (Tacoma)--People; Shanaman, Frederick Charles, 1901-1982; Men--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Club (Tacoma); Fisher, Philip H.; Fisher, Harry S.; Beitzel, George B.;

Room inside Tacoma Club. The Tacoma Club, located on the 17th floor of the Washington Building, was organized and incorporated in November, 1936. (filed with Argentum)

Tacoma Club (Tacoma);

Card room w/small tables and piano in corner, believed to be inside the Tacoma Club. (filed with Argentum)

Tacoma Club (Tacoma);

Dining room w/many tables set, believed to be inside the Tacoma Club. (filed with Argentum)

Tacoma Club (Tacoma); Dining rooms--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Art Exhibit in Washington Building. On November 20, 1940, Tacoma's art community was preparing for National Art Week, November 25-December 1st, with an art exhibit in the Washington Building. Alfred Banner, art teacher from Stadium High School and Robert Drummond of the College of Puget Sound examine water color entries to be exhibited. A third man carefully hangs a framed work on a nearby wall. (T.Times 11/23/1940 p.1)

Art exhibitions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Exhibitions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Washington Building (Tacoma); Banner, Alfred; Drummond, Robert;

Entrance to lobby of Washington Building. Clow's Grill to the left at 1017 Pacific, The Camera Shop to the right at 1021. For Safeway Stores, whose regional office was in Suite 920 of the Washington Building.

Buildings - Office Buildings - Tacoma - Washington Building Business Enterprises - Grocery Stores - Chain Stores - Safeway Stores

ca. 1943. The Chamber of Commerce held a dinner at the Tacoma Club honoring ship builders in 1943. Group portrait of four men; man standing at right is believed to be College of Puget Sound president R. Franklin Thompson.

Chamber of Commerce (Tacoma); Tacoma Club (Tacoma); Businessmen--Tacoma;

New officers of the Tacoma Club pose after their election October 19, 1942 in their clubrooms located in the Washington Building. Seated, left to right, are Lyle Abrahamson, vice president, and Fred Walker, president. Standing are James E. Fowler, treasurer, E.N. Eisenhower, trustee, and L.R. Bonneville, secretary. (T. Times 10/20/1942, pg. 3)

Tacoma Club (Tacoma); Abrahamson, Lyle; Walker, Fred; Fowler, James E.; Eisenhower, Edgar;

A view of the game room at the Tacoma Club. Square tables with four chairs around each are set on a floor decorated with alternating colors of linoleum tile. The walls are covered with knotty-pine paneling. The windows are covered with venetian blinds and flowered draperies. Earl Reynolds.

Tacoma Club (Tacoma); Recreation rooms--Tacoma; Clubs--Tacoma;

ca. 1963. The giant red neon Bank of California sign on top of the Washington Building could be seen from five miles away in April of 1963. It used more than half a mile of high-intensity 60 milli-amp hot tubing and a newly designed pressure pump. The sign was created by the Heath Sign Company which had been established in 1948. The Bank of California National Association was adjacent to the taller Washington Building on Pacific Avenue. The neon sign was scheduled to be formally lit up on Saturday, April 27, 1963. (TNT 4-24-63, A-22)

Electric signs--Tacoma--1960-1970; Washington Building (Tacoma); Bank of California National Association--Associated objects;

• The Winthrop Hotel, the Pantages Theater, the Washington Building and the Bostwick Block are the buildings at the base of Mount Rainier, whose top is lost in the clouds. circa 1930.
• Printed on front: Mount Tacoma, "50 Miles from Business District". Tacoma, Washington

1971 Richards color stock footage featuring the Washington Building in the downtown business district. The Bank of California's red neon sign and the United States flag are prominently displayed on top of the 17-story Washington Building at 1019 Pacific Ave. The Bank of California was a much smaller building nearby. Other neighbors include Seldens furniture store and the Tacoma Building.

Washington Building (Tacoma); Electric signs--Tacoma--1970-1980; Flags--United States; Business districts--Tacoma--1970-1980; Seldens, Inc. (Tacoma); Tacoma Building (Tacoma);

This photograph from November 1920 shows one of the huge 32 ton beams of the framework for the Scandinavian -American Bank nearing its resting place. The erectors stand on top of the beam, ready to secure it in position. The design for the bank called for 16 stories with 22 rooms per floor with 5,000 feet of rentable space. The 11th Street entrance would open on a 26 foot wide court with a huge colored glass dome forming the ceiling for the massive banking room below. The bank failed in January of 1921 and construction was halted. The building, after a re-design, was completed in 1925 and was renamed the Washington Building. (TDL 11/14/1920, pg. B-7) BU 10, 759, Boland B 3235

Scandinavian-American Bank (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1920-1930; Construction industry--Tacoma--1920-1930;

The staff of Puget Sound Collections, Inc., shown at work on May 3, 1971. Frank B. Rossiter, president, is standing with arms folded. Other personnel are either searching the card catalogs and file cabinets or seated at their desks. Standing are: Carol Dodge (foreground) and Melody Ashley. Seated (front to back) are: Vicki Edling, Lois Taylor, Shirley Curley, Katherine Klatt and Dean Majors. Puget Sound Collections, Inc., dealt with commercial accounts. The firm was located at 1301 Washington Building on Pacific Avenue. Photograph ordered by Puget Sound Collections, Inc. (Additional information provided by readers)

Puget Sound Collections, Inc. (Tacoma); Rossiter, Frank; Dodge, Carol; Ashley, Melody; Edling, Vicki; Taylor, Lois; Curley, Shirley; Klatt, Katherine; Majors, Dean; Office workers--Tacoma--1970-1980; Office equipment & supplies;

Washington Building. The venerable Washington Building is still located in downtown Tacoma at So. 11th & Pacific Ave. Initial construction was in 1919 for the Scandinavian-American Bank but was halted when the bank failed. It was finally completed in 1925 for the Washington-California Co. At 17-stories, it was the "second tallest in the entire Northwest" at the time. Located in the heart of the commercial district, the striking structure had a large red neon sign indicating the presence of its neighbor, the Bank of California. Other businesses in the vicinity included Peoples department store across the street and Selden's furniture store next door. A $700,000 cooling and heating system was installed in August of 1970 in the Washington Building. The system was set to begin operations on or about September 15, 1970. The 400-ton-capacity cooler was installed under the building and the 2-ton cooling tower on the roof. Photograph ordered by the Washington Building. (article on cooling system - TNT 8-16-70, A-18)

Washington Building (Tacoma); Electric signs--Tacoma--1970-1980; Peoples (Tacoma); Department stores--Tacoma--1970-1980; Seldens, Inc. (Tacoma); Business districts--Tacoma--1970-1980; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1970-1980;

Washington Building. This color photograph of the Washington Building was believed to have been taken from the viewpoint of the Pacific First Federal Savings & Loan Association building on August 6, 1970. The red neon Bank of California sign on top of the Washington Building stands brightly out amidst the gray landscape. One side of the 17-story structure faces 11th St.; at that time 11th St. was a one-way street only, heading uphill. Other notable buildings in the vicinity included Peoples department store across the street; Seldens furniture next door, and the Tacoma Building. A sliver of the Bank of California with the Commerce Savings & Loan banner is visible. Color photograph ordered by the Washington Building.

Washington Building (Tacoma); Electric signs--Tacoma--1970-1980; Seldens, Inc. (Tacoma); Peoples (Tacoma); Tacoma Building (Tacoma); Business districts--Tacoma--1970-1980; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1970-1980;

ca. 1925. The new Washington Building had its Grand Opening in June of 1925. Construction of the building was begun in 1919 for the Scandinavian American Bank and halted in 1921 when the bank failed. It was completed in 1925 and was, at that time, the second tallest building in the Northwest. The main tenant at its opening was the Brotherhood Cooperative National Bank. The Cooperative Bank was the first of its kind in any Northwest City. Although it was part of the Brotherhood group of banks, strong in the eastern part of the country, the local bank had local supporters, management and share holders, many of them working men. It was approved by both the Federated Improvement Clubs of Tacoma and the labor unions. (TNT 6/30/1925, pg. 14)(WSHS)

Washington Building (Tacoma); Brotherhood Cooperative National Bank (Tacoma); Banks--Tacoma--1920-1930;

ca. 1925. Construction on the Washington Building started in 1919 for the Scandinavian- American Bank, but halted when the bank went bankrupt. The steel framework sat deserted until it was purchased by the Washington-California Co. In 1925, the building was completed. The steel framework was clothed in white terra cotta, which was glazed. It was fireproof. It had 1925 technologically superior Otis elevators, which could take visitors from the bottom to the top in 16 seconds. The building was completed with an investment of 1 1/2 million dollars. (TNT 6/30/1925, pg.1) (WSHS)

Washington Building (Tacoma); Office buildings--Tacoma--1920-1930; Business districts--Tacoma--1920-1930;

Formally attired young folk at a dinner-dance held at the Tacoma Club on March 9, 1940. This was the first of Tacoma Club's formal dinner dances during the 1940 season. The event was held in the club rooms at the top of the Washington Building. President of the Tacoma Club was H.A. Christofferson. (T.Times 3-16-1940, p. 4-different photo, same series)

Tacoma Club (Tacoma); Teenagers--1940-1950; Evening gowns--Tacoma--1940-1950; Tuxedoes;

Men behind bar at the Tacoma Club.

Tacoma Club (Tacoma);

Sitting room inside Tacoma Club (filed with Argentum)

Tacoma Club (Tacoma);

Interior of the "Lounging Room" of the new Tacoma Club on the 17th Floor of the Washington Building. The Tacoma Club was the city's newest and most exclusive social club, catering to local business tycoons. Corner lounge with heavy, upholstered furniture, tables, lamps, and console radio. (WSHS)

Tacoma Club (Tacoma); Clubs--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Game and card room at Tacoma's newest and most exclusive club, the Tacoma Club, located on the top floor of Washington Building. The Grand Opening for the Club's new quarters was held May 10, 1937. It was an invitation only event for members and their guests. Photograph is of the game room with several square game/card tables. Room features knotty pine paneling on structural columns and checker board patterned flooring. (WSHS) (T. Times 5/10/1937, pg. 1)

Tacoma Club (Tacoma); Clubs--Tacoma--1930-1940;