Work progresses on the new County City Building in April, 1957. View of steel works; the steel was supplied by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corporation's Seattle plant. It would be two more years until the building was completed; dedication of the new County City Building was in April, 1959. Photograph ordered by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corporation.

Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Steel; Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. (Seattle); County-City Building (Tacoma);

Work progresses on the new County-City Building in April, 1957. Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corporation provided the steel needed for the framing. View of steelworks including plywood sheets on top. Construction would not be fully completed until 1959. Central Schools building can be seen in the far left with City Dye Works at the right rear. Photograph ordered by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corporation.

Progress photographs; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; County-City Building (Tacoma); Steel; Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp. (Seattle);

Construction continues on the new County-City Building in the spring of 1958. At this point, work on the edifice is now past the half-way point. View of construction at the corner of So. 11th and Tacoma Avenue So. shows the two-story court wing and the ten-story plus penthouse central structure. The court wing is being constructed of reinforced concrete. The court rooms will be soundproof and windowless. The towering central portion is 165 feet above Tacoma Avenue. It is being built to be fireproof and will be only one of about 100 in the country with exterior aluminum paneling. Another unit, a four-story law enforcement wing, will be finished later. Photograph ordered by Fentron Industries, Seattle. TPL-6679. (TNT 1-5-58, A-6)

Progress photographs; County-City Building (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Another angle of the County-City Building construction in progress was taken on April 2, 1958, for Fentron Industries of Seattle. The taller structure is the ten story and penthouse central building. Scaffolding is in place, probably to put aluminum paneling over the exterior walls. The smaller wing would be eventually four stories tall and contain the law enforcement forces. It appears that the steel framework is up and most concrete floors poured. Parking would be provided in the vicinity of the piles of rubble and construction materials. Total cost of the project was under $10 million dollars. TPL-6568

Progress photographs; Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; County-City Building (Tacoma);

Work proceeds steadily on the new County-City Building being constructed on Tacoma Avenue South, next door to the Tacoma Public Library. The massive, multi-storied central structure will be one of the very few in the country with exterior aluminum paneling. The two-story court building shown above is made of reinforced concrete. Although the interior court rooms are soundproof and windowless, there appear to be windows on the exterior walls. A. Gordon Lumm, A.I.A., is the architect of the project; Macdonald Building Co. is the contractor. There is a large sign at the site listing the names of the County Commissioners, Tacoma City Council, Architect, Engineers and Contractor. The County-City Building would be formally dedicated on April 10, 1959. Photograph ordered by Fentron Industries, Seattle.

Progress photographs; County-City Building (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960;

ca. 1958. Mount Rainier can barely be seen in the distance on an overcast day, to the right of the new County-City Building under construction. The smaller unit is the new law enforcement wing which will eventually become four stories tall. The steel frame work is now up; structural steel used in fabricating the framework was probably provided by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel's Seattle plant. The large dirt area to the foreground will become parking. Photograph ordered by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corporation.

Progress photographs; County-City Building (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Progress photographs of the construction of the new County-City Building were taken on June 19, 1958, for Fentron Industries, Seattle. Structurally, the building was 99% completed by early March, 1958. The old Courthouse to the right of the photograph would be demolished for parking; it was expected to be the last job in this project. The two houses adjacent to the site and next to the Courthouse were being used by county employees; they, too, would be leveled for parking. The mild winter, despite rain, kept the construction on schedule. (TNT 3-9-58, A-1) TPL-6680

Progress photographs; County-City Building (Tacoma); Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma);

Aerial photographs taken on September 9, 1958, show the nearly completed County-City Building on Tacoma Avenue South. The parking lot and landscaping still need to be done. The old Courthouse to the rear of the new building would be the last to be demolished. The land there, too, would become necessary parking. The State Armory, directly behind the Courthouse at 715 South 11th St., still remains. The Tacoma Public Library can be seen to the new County-City Building's right, at 1102 Tacoma Avenue South. Other prominent features include the Schoenfeld's furniture store and Union Station on Pacific Avenue and a portion of the City (now Thea Foss) Waterway. This view, looking southeast, was very similar to A116584-2. Hazy smoke or clouds nearly obliterate Mount Rainier in the distance as well as parts of the industrial Tideflats.

Aerial photographs; Aerial views; County-City Building (Tacoma); Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); State Armory (Tacoma); Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Streets--Tacoma--1950-1960; Commercial streets--Tacoma--1950-1960;

View of County-City Building ordered by Fentron Industries, Seattle. The modern County-City Building stands nearly completed on September 19, 1958, a stark contrast to the Old City Hall that it will be replacing. The main tower would be twelve stories high: ten for office space, basement storage and a penthouse used for mechanical equipment and a lunchroom. This particular shot was taken by a Richards Studio photographer who apparently climbed to the third floor of the Old Courthouse located to the rear of the new facility.

County-City Building (Tacoma);

ca. 1959. Aerial of downtown Tacoma and the almost completed County City Building at 930 Tacoma Ave. South. The CC building lies in the center of the photograph. To the left of the building is the new (1952) Tacoma Public Library at 1102 Tacoma Ave. So. Directly behind the CC building is the old Pierce County Courthouse, at 1012 So G. St., still in use until the CC building is completed but scheduled for demolition. Directly behind the Courthouse is the Washington National Guard Armory, at 715 So. 11th St., which remains at this location. The erection of the County City Building was a long time in coming; from its voter approval in 1952 to the start of construction in 1956 to the dedication of the new building April 10, 1959.

Progress photographs; County-City Building (Tacoma); Building construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Tacoma Public Library (Tacoma); Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); State Armory (Tacoma);

ca. 1959. Imposing entrance of the new County-City building, an soaring glass and aluminum structure designed by A. Gordon Lumm. Lumm was the controversial selection of the County Commissioners as architect. His selection raised the ire of the local architects as he was the only one who did not participate in the free preliminary work performed by the architects' society. Bids for the construction of the original design came in 3 1/2 million higher than available funds. Voters approved an additional $3,700,00 in a bond issue to make up the difference. The building was finally constructed according to the original design and dedicated on April 10, 1959. (TNT 4/7/1959, pg. B1+)

County-City Building (Tacoma);

ca. 1959. The gothic spires of the old Pierce County Courthouse overlook the new glass and aluminum County-City building in this photograph from April or May of 1959. The old Courthouse was scheduled to be demolished as soon as all offices were relocated to the the new building. Of special interest was the movement of thousands of paper records, required by law for the county to store. Four trucking firms were hired to move 5,000 beer cartons of public records to the new building. Approximately 9 additional truck loads of records that were over 10 years old were ordered destroyed. Demolition of the Old Courthouse began in June, 1959. It was replaced with a parking lot.

County-City Building (Tacoma); Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma;

ca. 1959. The new County-City building from the intersection of 9th and Tacoma Ave. So. In April of 1959, Macdonald Building Co. had finally finished construction on the building that almost did not get built. In November of 1952, after a previous bond issue defeat, voters approved 6 million dollars to finance a joint county and city building. Over 20 sites were proposed, each with its own adamant supporters. The County Commissioners overrode all, including their own advisory committee that recommended the area bounded by So. 13th, 15th, Market and Tacoma Ave, to choose its present site. A Gordon Lumm was the controversial selection as architect. In midstream, 1953, Tacoma changed its form of government and the new council wanted the city to have its own wing, a demand that Lumm could not accomodate. In 1956, things went from bad to worse, as construction bids came in at 3 1/2 million over available funds. Voters voted in another bond issue to cover the shortfall. The council agreed on a lease agreement, after stormy negotiations, whereby the city would pay the county $80,000 a year for 20 years. The building was finally completed and dedicated on April 10, 1959, after much political blood letting. (TNT 4/7/1959, pg B1+) TPL-8169

County-City Building (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma;

ca. 1960. The County-City Building, dedicated in April of 1959, over 7 years after the voters' approval, and designed by A. Gordon Lumm. The building stretches over 2 city blocks and was built at a cost of 9 1/2 million dollars; 3 1/2 million over the original amount approved by the voters. Shown is the four story law enforcement wing that was completed and occupied last. It housed both the Pierce County Sheriffs and the Tacoma Police Department. It is connected to the twelve story central structure. The photograph is taken from the intersection of 9th and Tacoma Ave. South with the structure facing onto Tacoma Ave. So. Photograph from the 1960 Richards stock files.

County-City Building (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma;

ca. 1960. 1960 Richards stock footage- the County-City Building, taken from Tacoma Avenue South. This twelve story central structure towers 167 feet above the street level. The court wing sits to the left and the law enforcement wing to the right. The glass and aluminum building was dedicated in April of 1959 and built from a design by architect A. Gordon Lumm. The building is still in use and the central structure looks much the same, however the side wings have been remodeled and greatly expanded.

County-City Building (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma;

ca. 1960. 1960 Richards stock footage- the County-City Building from the intersection of 11th and Tacoma Avenue South. In the background to the left can be seen the Armory. This view shows the two story court wing next to the twelve story central structure. The very controversial joint building took over 7 years from voter approval to finished structure, with skirmishes over location, architect, cost (it finished 3 1/2 million over original budget) and division between city and county. The building, however, has served Tacoma and Pierce County well and still meets the needs of the community. The wings have been extensively remodeled and added on to and now stretch almost to Tacoma Ave. So.

County-City Building (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma;

ca. 1965. 1965 Stock footage. The County-City Building's law enforcement section looks quite a bit different in 2004 than it did in 1965. The four-story wing that housed the Tacoma Police Department and Pierce County Sheriff's Department was completed last after the twelve story central structure and court wing. Each police department had its own jail capable of holding 140 prisoners. Designed for maximum security, the new building also was a more comfortable and spacious environment for the city, county and federal prisoners it housed. This 1965 photograph was taken from about So. 9th & Tacoma Ave. So., looking southwesterly.

County-City Building (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; Jails--Tacoma;