Daniel R. Bigelow House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Daniel R. Bigelow House
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Bigelow House c. 1866
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| Location | 918 Glass Ave. NE Olympia, Washington |
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| Built | 1854 |
| Architectural style | Carpenter Gothic |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002562 |
| Added to NRHP | August 7, 1979 |
The Bigelow House, also known as the Bigelow House Museum, is a special old house in Olympia, Washington. It is located at 918 Glass Avenue Northeast. This house is now a historic house museum, which means it's preserved to show how people lived long ago.
The house was built in 1854 by Daniel Bigelow. It was designed in a style called Carpenter Gothic. This style often features pointed arches and steep roofs, like a wooden version of old churches. The Bigelow House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This list includes important historical places in the United States.
Contents
History of the Bigelow House
Who Were Daniel and Ann Elizabeth Bigelow?
Daniel Bigelow was a lawyer who graduated from Harvard Law School. He traveled to Olympia in 1851. He made this long journey by crossing the Oregon Trail.
When he arrived, Daniel claimed a large piece of land, about 160 acres. This was called a Donation Land Claim. He built a small, two-room cabin near a natural spring. This spring provided fresh water and overlooked Budd Inlet in South Puget Sound.
In 1854, Daniel Bigelow married Ann Elizabeth White. Ann Elizabeth was one of the first school teachers in what was then called Washington Territory.
Building Their Family Home
Daniel and Ann Elizabeth built the main Bigelow House during the summer of 1854. This is the house you can visit today. They raised eight children in this home.
The Bigelows were very active in their community. They cared deeply about many important causes. These included the temperance movement, which worked to reduce alcohol use. They also supported women's suffrage, which was the fight for women to have the right to vote. They also strongly believed in public education for everyone.
Many important people visited the Bigelows at their home. These guests included Patkanim, a leader of the Snoqualmie Tribe. Famous suffragette Susan B. Anthony also visited. Even George Pickett, a general from the American Civil War, stayed there before the war began.
The Bigelows also hosted some of the Mercer Girls in 1866. These were young women who traveled from the East Coast to Washington. They came to work as teachers and help balance the number of men and women in the territory. Daniel and Ann Elizabeth Bigelow lived in the house for their entire lives. Daniel passed away in 1905, and Ann Elizabeth in 1926.
Saving the Historic House
The Bigelow House stayed in the Bigelow family for many years. In 1994, Daniel S. Bigelow, a grandson, and Mary Ann Campbell Bigelow helped save it. They formed a group called the Bigelow House Preservation Association (BHPA). Their goal was to protect the house from being torn down by developers.
The BHPA worked hard to restore the house. They wanted it to look like it did during the territorial era. In 1995, they officially opened it as the Bigelow House Museum. The Bigelow family also had an agreement to live in the house for the rest of their lives.
Visiting the Museum Today
Since 2005, the Bigelow House Museum has been fully open to the public. Visitors can see original furniture, photos, and documents from the territorial era. It is one of the oldest and most complete pioneer-era homes in Washington.
The house is also a central part of the Bigelow Neighborhood. Many homes in this area were built by members of the Bigelow and White families. In 2013, the BHPA joined with the Olympia Historical Society. They are now known as the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum.
See also
- Hale House
- History of Olympia, Washington
- History of Washington State
- List of museums in Washington (state)
