Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Item
Title
D121893-4
Date(s)
- 1959-07-01 (Creation)
Extent
Name of creator
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
In July of 1959 the stately old County Courthouse at 1012 South G Street, adorned with large signs on its southeast tower declaring "This building is coming down" and "Salvage for sale", was in the process of being demolished. Lige Dickson and Co., the subcontractor for the demolition, had gutted much of the interior and the north wing was already gone. Built in 1892, its familiar Romanesque spires and cupolas made it a Tacoma landmark. By 1959 the beauty of the building's stone work hid deteriorating interior walls and sagging floors. A "Save the Courthouse" movement failed after generating only 20 letters. The final hold up to demolition was that Pierce County Sheriff Frank Stojack refused to move his department to the new County-City building until he received increased funding for a larger staff to man the new facility. After demolition was completed, the area formerly occupied by the Courthouse served as a parking lot for the County-City building. (TNT 4/22/1959, pg. 1, 4/30/1959, pg. 1, 6/20/1959, pg. 1) TPL-6567
Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; County-City Building (Tacoma); State Armory (Tacoma);