The upscale Ingleside Sunken Gardens was built in 20 days in 1921, with ground broken May 20 and the club opened early in June by owner/manager R.J. Fitzgerald. It was named the "Sunken Gardens" in tribute to Chicago's Green Mill Gardens, although it appears that there were no real gardens on the premises.Built at a cost of $20,000, the club would provide a location for dinner dances, theater parties and banquets for the Society Set. It was located on Pacific Highway in Lakewood, near the Country Club. The one story structure was mostly taken up by the large dining and dance hall with its 4000 square feet of hardwood dance floor. Twenty eight sets of French doors led from the dance floor to the promenade veranda that surrounded it, all enclosed with French windows. Kitchens and two banquet rooms took the remainder of the space. The dance hall had 120 specially designed tables that resembled flowers and seated 500 and a decorated balcony that housed the 6 piece orchestra. The "gardens" were eighteen miles of lattice work intertwined with $2,000 worth of ever-blooming artificial flowers. The club was open year round until it was destroyed by fire in 1936. (TNT 6/19/1921, pg. B-5- photo, 5/22/1921, pg. A-5) BU-13356

Ingleside Sunken Gardens (Lakewood); Dance halls--Lakewood; Taverns (Inns)--Lakewood;

The Ingleside Orchestra performed in January of 1924 at the Ingleside Sunken Gardens in Lakewood. The club was built in 1921 as an upper end party place for the Society Set. In the background can be seen the lattice work entwined with artificial flowers and the French windows that gave the building its yearlong feeling of spring. The structure was modeled after the Green Mill Gardens of Chicago and contained 28 sets of French doors and 18 miles of lattice work. The Ingleside Sunken Gardens was destroyed by fire in 1936 and the Ingleside Cafe built on the site in 1940. B10370.

Ingleside Orchestra (Lakewood); Ingleside Sunken Gardens (Lakewood); Dance halls--Lakewood; Taverns (Inns)--Lakewood;

In this photograph from 1949, a recently erected neon Olympia "It's the Water" beer sign towers over the Ingleside Cafe located on 12914 Pacific Highway Southwest in Lakewood, Washington. Other electric signs are also visible, including: the restaurant name sign, "EAT", "Fish and Chips", and a portion of the drugstore sign in foreground. The Ingleside Cafe was built on the site of the Ingleside Sunken Gardens which was destroyed by fire in 1936. The Ingleside Cafe closed in 1960. Photo ordered by Electrical Products Consolidated. TPL-2469

Electric signs--Lakewood; Diners (Restaurants)--Lakewood; Automobiles--Lakewood--1940-1950; Hogan's Rexall Drugs (Lakewood); Ingleside Cafe (Lakewood); Electrical Products Consolidated (Tacoma);

View of recently erected Olympia "It's in the Water" beer electric sign at the Ingleside Cafe located on 12914 Pacific Highway Southwest in Lakewood, Washington; Hogan's Rexall Drugs is on left side foreground. The beer sign was manufactured by Electrical Products Consolidated, they also manufactured street lights in the downtown Tacoma area. TPL-2455

Electric signs--Lakewood; Diners (Restaurants)--Lakewood; Automobiles--Lakewood--1940-1950; Hogan's Rexall Drugs (Lakewood); Ingleside Cafe (Lakewood); Electrical Products Consolidated (Tacoma);

Nighttime view of Olympia "It's in the Water" beer electric sign at the Ingleside Cafe located on 12914 Pacific Highway Southwest in Lakewood, Washington. Photo ordered by EPCON, which was the shortened name of the Electrical Products Consolidated Company; they advertised in the 1949 City Directory as sign painters and manufacturers instead of neon signs, L.M. Moore was the district manager for the company.

Electric signs--Lakewood; Night--Lakewood; Diners (Restaurants)--Lakewood; Automobiles--Lakewood--1940-1950; Ingleside Cafe (Lakewood); Electrical Products Consolidated (Tacoma);