Exterior of F. W. Woolworth, Co. building site. Razing of the old Fidelity building to make way for the new million dollar structure was completed at the beginning of 1950. Sidewalk barriers surround the construction site. The grand opening of the new Woolworth building was 11-1-1950. Photograph commissioned by W.H. Opie and Co., real estate sales.

Office buildings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Fidelity Building (Tacoma); F.W. Woolworth Co. (Tacoma); Skyscrapers--Tacoma; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Interior of General Paint Corporation retail store at 102 So. 10th, Tacoma. Paint cans, brushes and supplies line the shelves. A Clarke floor sander available for rent rests in the foreground of the picture. Bold wallpaper samples hang on the walls and decorate panels. Wallpaper books rest on stands with chairs available for comfortable perusing. Home ownership was a realistic goal in the fifties, and remodeling and decorating was a favorite pastime.

Buildings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Stores & shops--Tacoma--1950-1960; Paints & varnishes; General Paint Corp. (Tacoma);

The building had a modern heat pump that was used in heating and cooling the facilities. This heat pump could extract heat or cold from well water as deep as 500 feet below the building. View of unidentified man in work area, possibly located in the basement; in Portland's Equitable Building, now known as the Commonwealth Building.

Commercial facilities--Oregon--Portland; Office buildings--Oregon--Portland; Architecture--Oregon--Portland; Architects; Belluschi, Pietro; Equitable Building (Portland, Or.); Commonwealth Building (Portland, Or.);

The Equitable Building was an amazing combination of two-toned aluminum and glass, with not a square inch of masonry showing above the first floor. It had innovative big window panels filled with green tinted, heat absorbing glass. 1949 exterior view of the Equitable Building and neon sign above, now known as the Commonwealth Building in Portland, Oregon.

Commercial facilities--Oregon--Portland; Office buildings--Oregon--Portland; Architecture--Oregon--Portland; Architects; Belluschi, Pietro; Equitable Building (Portland, Or.); Commonwealth Building (Portland, Or.);

The windows in the building stretch from column to column, but not from floor to ceiling. This building made a striking advance in technological skyscraper planning. Architect Pietro Belluschi's design was able to achieve a perfect expression of the standard concrete cage. Exterior view of the Equitable Building, now known as the Commonwealth Building in Portland, Oregon.

Commercial facilities--Oregon--Portland; Office buildings--Oregon--Portland; Architecture--Oregon--Portland; Architects; Belluschi, Pietro; Equitable Building (Portland, Or.); Commonwealth Building (Portland, Or.);

The Equitable Building was the first skyscraper to be constructed in Portland in 25 years. Pietro Belluschi was highly praised for the design innovations and the buildings straight forward use of materials. Interior view of office space in Portland's Equitable Building, now known as the Commonwealth Building; unidentified man is working at his desk, downtown Portland view through his office window.

Commercial facilities--Oregon--Portland; Office buildings--Oregon--Portland; Architecture--Oregon--Portland; Architects; Belluschi, Pietro; Equitable Building (Portland, Or.); Commonwealth Building (Portland, Or.);

This new modern building, designed by Northwest architect Pietro Belluschi, was not well received in Portland at first, because of the "skeleton outline" structure. It later became the standard example in new and modern office facilities throughout the nation. Exterior view of the Equitable Building, now known as the Commonwealth Building in Portland, Oregon.

Commercial facilities--Oregon--Portland; Office buildings--Oregon--Portland; Architecture--Oregon--Portland; Architects; Belluschi, Pietro; Equitable Building (Portland, Or.); Commonwealth Building (Portland, Or.);

Veterans of Foreign Wars was having their 28th annual affair with a four day convention, downtown parade and memorial services at Wright Park. View of marching unit on Broadway, The Owl Drug Company and Mannings Market in background, crowd is gathered on both sides of Broadway to watch the parade (T. Times, 6/24/48, p. 1). TPL-9771

Business districts--Tacoma; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Military art & science; Marching--Tacoma; Stores & shops--Tacoma; Parades & processions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Veterans of Foreign Wars (Tacoma);

Aerial view of Tacoma's downtown business district, City Waterway, Shaffer Terminals, railroad tracks, The Fisher Company, Rust building, Mobilgas sign, Home Electric Company, Schoenfeld's building, Lyon Storage building, "Coca-Cola" billboards, Puget Sound National Bank building, Perkins Building on A Street and many other prominent downtown buildings are featured in photo. TPL-1446

Business districts--Tacoma; Waterfronts; Cityscapes; Cities & towns--Tacoma; Aerial photographs;

Aerial view of downtown Tacoma, residential and business area can be seen throughout the image. Commencement Bay, City Waterway, Shaffer Terminals, Union Station, railroad tracks and bridges connecting downtown Tacoma to the Port of Tacoma on right side.

Business districts--Tacoma; Waterfronts; Office buildings--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cityscapes; Cities & towns--Tacoma; Aerial photographs;

Aerial view of downtown Tacoma, on Pacific Avenue the Riviera Theatre, The Bank of California, Tones, Rust Building and the Washington Building with the Mobilgas sign can be identified. The Music Box and the Roxy Theatre on South 9th Street are in the center of photo; Hotel Lawrence and a parking lot located on A Street are on lower left side of image. TPL-1442

Commercial streets--Tacoma--1940-1950; Business districts--Tacoma; Cityscapes; Cities & towns--Tacoma; Aerial photographs;

Pietro Belluschi amazed the world with his modern office building in Portland, Oregon. The Equitable Building, later known as the Commonwealth Building, was an ethereal tower of sea green glass and aluminum. This was the first skyscraper to be built in over twenty five years in Portland. Aerial view of Portland's downtown business district.

Commercial facilities--Oregon--Portland; Office buildings--Oregon--Portland; Architecture--Oregon--Portland; Architects; Belluschi, Pietro; Equitable Building (Portland, Or.); Commonwealth Building (Portland, Or.);

J & F Parking lot on 13th between Pacific Ave. and Commerce. Parking is 50 cents a day, or 25 cents for the first hour and a dime every hour after that. Taxis line up on 13th fronting the taxi stand at the corner.

Business districts--Tacoma--1950-1960; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The Bernice and First Federal Buildings on Pacific Ave. On the left is the Victorian Bernice Building, 1106-1108 Pacific Ave., build in 1890 by John S. Baker and named in honor of his first child. Located on the ground floor of the building is Bender's, men's and women's ready to wear clothing, owned by Jack R. Bender and the Tacoma Magazine and Gift Shop in the lobby of 1108 Pacific Ave. On the right is the First Federal Building, built in 1891 for Merchants National Bank and designed by Proctor and Dennis. Pacific First Federal Savings and Loan occupied the building in 1939. At this time, the ground floor was occupied by Horluck's Fountain Lunch, a fountain and lunch counter owned by Arthur Riebli and George Hoertrich. Both historic buildings were demolished in 1963 to make way for the modern and expanded Pacific First Federal Building.

Bernice Building (Tacoma); Bender's (Tacoma); Tacoma Magazine and Gift Shop (Tacoma); Soda fountains--Tacoma; Restaurants--Tacoma; Horluck's Danish Ice Cream Shop (Tacoma); Pacific First Federal Building (Tacoma);

Another view of the Romanesque styled brick building at 1515 South State Street in Chicago was taken for the Geo. D. Poe & Co. on January 14, 1956. The multi-storied symmetrical structure had semi-circular Roman arches, rectangular columns, and may have been used as a warehouse. Two delivery trucks can be spotted in the basement level; a stern sign warns of "no parking" before its doors. Chicago depended heavily on its trains as a form of mass transit; a train is shown passing by on elevated tracks. A Gulf No Nox service station is located across the street from the commercial building. There are either soap suds or remnants of snow along its gas pumps. Sepia photograph ordered by Geo. D. Poe & Co.

Commercial streets--Illinois--Chicago; Automobile service stations--Illinois--Chicago; Geo. D. Poe & Co. (Tacoma);

ca. 1956. Exteriors of the Hunt & Mottet building. The eight story brick building was built in 1907 and designed by Bullard & Hill. Letters several feet tall emblazon the company name on the side of the building. A smaller new building lies to the left, with a parking lot to left of that. Hunt and Mottet were wholesalers of hardware.

Hunt & Mottet Co. (Tacoma); Hardware stores--Tacoma;

ca. 1956. Exteriors of the Hunt & Mottet building. Hunt and Mottet were wholesalers of hardware. This is the rear of the eight story building, where railroad cars can deliver directly to the loading dock. TPL-8791

Hunt & Mottet Co. (Tacoma); Hardware stores--Tacoma;

Interiors of the Hunt & Mottet building. Hunt & Mottet were wholesalers of hardware. The warehouse appears to be filled from floor to ceiling with shiny buckets, cans and troughs.

Hunt & Mottet Co. (Tacoma); Hardware stores--Tacoma;

ca. 1956. Exteriors of the Hunt & Mottet warehouse building.

Hunt & Mottet Co. (Tacoma); Hardware stores--Tacoma; Warehouses--Tacoma;

In June of 1953, the recently renamed "Security Building," 917 Pacific Ave., was photographed showing ground-floor tenants Comfort, Davis, & Blangy, Inc. and Forrester, Inc., both real estate and insurance firms. The Geo. D. Barclay Co. was in the smaller brick building to the immediate left of Comfort, Davis & Blangy. The six-story building, previously known as the Provident Building, was built in 1903 by Henry Longstreth, designed by architect George W. Bullard and was home to many downtown businesses. In 2006, it was once again renamed the Provident Building. Photograph ordered by Harry Blangy.

Security Building (Tacoma); Provident Building (Tacoma); Facades--Tacoma--1950-1960; Comfort, Davis & Blangy (Tacoma); Forrester, Inc. (Tacoma); George D. Barclay Co. (Tacoma);

Another view of the Hunt & Mottet Co. building showing the four-story addition and small parking lot was taken on October 21, 1957. Located on busy Pacific Avenue, near S. 22nd St., the wholesale hardware and sporting goods company had been doing business there since 1907. Lettering several feet high on one side of the main brick building alerted commuters to the company's presence. The eight-story concrete faced building to the right of Hunt & Mottet is believed to be the Love-Johnson Co./Tacoma Grocery Co.building constructed in 1906. Photograph ordered by Hunt & Mottet Co.

Hunt & Mottet Co. (Tacoma); Facades--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hardware stores--Tacoma; Signs (Notices);

ca. 1958. Photograph taken in 1958 at the corner of Pacific Ave. and 10th, looking north on Pacific. The six story Security Building, 917 Pacific Ave., is clearly marked on the side of the building. It was built in 1903 from a design by George Bullard, architect, and named the "Provident Building." It was renamed in 1952. To the right is a smaller building, originally built in 1885 for the Tacoma National Bank and added on to in 1888 (921-23 Pacific Ave.) It has since been demolished. The tenants in 1958 were the Smoke Shop Tavern at 921, the Travel Center of Tacoma at 923 and Archie's Coffee Cup at 925 Pacific Ave. Around the corner was the Lutheran Service Center for service men and Ward-Smith, Inc. The Montgomery Ward catalog center is located at 919 Pacific Ave.

Security Building (Tacoma); Provident Building (Tacoma); Facades--Tacoma--1950-1960; Archie's Coffee Cup (Tacoma); Smoke Shop Tavern (Tacoma); Travel Center of Tacoma (Tacoma);

Long shot of So. 9th St. facing east, intersecting Commerce and Pacific, featuring the Pacific Coast Fuels sign at 9th and Pacific, and ending at A Street. Parking meters can be seen in the right hand foreground of the picture.

Business districts--Tacoma--1950-1960; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1950-1960;