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National Register of Historic Places listings in Spokane County, Washington facts for kids

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Map of Washington highlighting Spokane County
A map showing where Spokane County is in Washington state.

Welcome to Spokane County, Washington! This area is home to many special places that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These are buildings, sites, or objects that are important to the history of the United States.

There are 154 historic places in Spokane County. Most of them, about 131, are located right in the city of Spokane. The other 23 are found in other towns and areas around the county. A couple of places were once on the list but have since been removed. Let's explore some of these amazing historic spots!

Historic Places Outside Spokane City

Many interesting historic sites are found in the smaller towns and rural areas of Spokane County. These places tell stories about how people lived, worked, and learned in the past.

Cheney's Historic Gems

The town of Cheney has several buildings that are important to its history.

  • The Cheney Interurban Depot (built in 1979) was a train station. It was part of a special electric railway system that connected towns.
  • The Cheney Odd Fellows Hall (built in 1990) was a meeting place for a group called the Odd Fellows. They were a friendly society that helped people in their community.
  • The City of Cheney Historic District (listed in 2001) includes many old buildings that show what Cheney looked like long ago.
  • The David Lowe House (listed in 1983) is another historic home in Cheney.
  • The Sutton Barn (listed in 1975) is a classic old barn located just outside Cheney. It shows how farming was done in the past.
  • The Washington State Normal School at Cheney Historic District (listed in 1992) is important because it was a school that trained teachers. Today, it's part of Eastern Washington University.

Mica and Latah's Past

The small towns of Mica and Latah also have their own unique history.

  • The American Firebrick Company (listed in 1982) in Mica was a place where special bricks were made.
  • The California Ranch (listed in 1980) is a historic ranch near Mica.
  • In Latah, you can find the Ham-McEachern House (listed in 1978) and the Latah School (listed in 2002). The school is a great example of old rural schools in Washington.

Other County Highlights

  • The Central Schoolhouse (District No. 49) (listed in 1992) near Nine Mile Falls is another example of an old schoolhouse. It shows how education was organized in rural areas.
  • The Dybdall Gristmill (listed in 1976) near Cheney was a mill where grain was ground into flour.
  • The Hallett House (listed in 1976) and Roosevelt Hall (listed in 1997) are historic buildings in Medical Lake.
  • The Italian Rock Ovens (listed in 1976) south of Cheney are old ovens used by Italian immigrants.
  • The Marshall Bridge (listed in 1995) in Marshall is an important old bridge.
  • The Millwood Historic District (listed in 2001) in Millwood shows the history of this town.
  • The Nine Mile Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District (listed in 1990) near Nine Mile Falls is a power plant that uses water to make electricity.
  • The Opportunity Township Hall (listed in 2005) in Spokane Valley was a community gathering place.
  • The West Valley High School (listed in 1991) in Millwood was once an important school, but it was taken down in the 1990s.
  • There are also two "Address Restricted" sites, Turnbull Pines Rock Shelter (listed in 1975) and Upper Kepple Rockshelters (45SP7) (listed in 1985), which are likely important archaeological sites.

Historic Places in Spokane City

The city of Spokane has many historic buildings and areas that tell the story of its growth and development.

Downtown Spokane's Landmarks

Downtown Spokane is full of historic buildings that were once busy centers of business and community life.

  • The Amman Building (built in 1904, listed in 1987) and the Bump Block-Bellevue House-Hawthorne Hotel (built in 1890, listed in 2000) are examples of early commercial buildings.
  • The Central Steam Heat Plant (built in 1916, listed in 1996) provided heat to many downtown buildings.
  • The City Ramp Garage (listed in 2012) shows how car travel changed the city.
  • The Commercial Block (built in 1906, listed in 1993) and Germond Block (listed in 2014) are more examples of historic business areas.
  • The Davenport Hotel (built in 1914, listed in 1975) is a famous and beautiful hotel.
  • The East Downtown Historic District (listed in 2003) covers a large area with many old buildings.
  • The Eldridge Building (built around 1925, listed in 1992) and Empire State Building (built around 1900, listed in 1977) are historic skyscrapers.
  • The Fairmont Hotel (listed in 2001) and The Globe Hotel (built in 1908, listed in 1998) were important places for travelers.
  • The Holley-Mason Building (built around 1905, listed in 1983) and Hutton Building (built around 1907, listed in 1983) are other significant commercial buildings.
  • The Kemp & Hebert Building (built in 1908, listed in 1994) was a large department store.
  • The Knickerbocker (built in 1912, listed in 1987) and Miller Block (built around 1890, listed in 1998) are more historic structures.
  • The Montvale Block (built in 1899, listed in 1998) was once the Montvale Hotel.
  • The Otis Hotel (built in 1911, listed in 1998) and Ridpath Hotel (listed in 2013) are other historic hotels.
  • The Peyton Building and Peyton Annex (built in 1898 and 1908, listed in 2005) are important office buildings.
  • The Review Building (built in 1890, listed in 1975) was home to a newspaper.
  • The Riverside Avenue Historic District (listed in 1976) includes many buildings along this important street.
  • The Salvation Army Building (built in 1921, listed in 2000) served the community.
  • The San Marco (built in 1904, listed in 1987) is another historic building.
  • The Seehorn-Lang Building (listed in 1998) is also part of Spokane's downtown history.
  • The Spokane City Hall Building (built 1912-1913, listed in 1985) was the city's main government building for 70 years.
  • The Spokane Club Building-Legion Building (built in 1901, listed in 1994) was a social club.
  • The U.S. Post Office, Courthouse, and Custom House (listed in 1983) is a grand government building.
  • The West Downtown Historic Transportation Corridor (listed in 1999) highlights the area's history with transportation.
  • The Whitten Block (built 1889-1890, listed in 1993) is another old commercial building.

Historic Homes and Neighborhoods

Spokane has many beautiful historic homes and entire neighborhoods that are listed on the Register.

  • The Louise Chandler Anderson House (listed in 2013) and Alonzo and Louise Barnett House (built in 1903, listed in 2003) are lovely old homes.
  • The Harvey and Mary Bauer House (listed in 2013) and Dr. Robert and Jessie Bell House (built in 1908, listed in 2005) are also historic residences.
  • The J. W. Binkley House (listed in 1989) and Kenneth and Edna Brooks House (built in 1956, listed in 2004) show different styles of homes over time.
  • The Browne's Addition Historic District (listed in 1976) is a large neighborhood with many grand old houses.
  • The Campbell House (built in 1898, listed in 1974) is now part of the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture.
  • The George and Nellie Canfield House (listed in 2014) and George and Blanche Christiansen House (listed in 2015) are more examples of historic homes.
  • The Patsy Clark Mansion (listed in 1975) is a very famous and beautiful mansion.
  • The Coolidge-Rising House (built around 1906, listed in 1988) and Corbet-Aspray House (built in 1908, listed in 1999) are other significant homes.
  • The Corbin Park Historic District (listed in 1992) is another historic neighborhood.
  • The Daniel C. and Anna Corbin House (built in 1898, listed in 2004) is a notable residence.
  • The Dodd House (listed in 2010) and Gus and Florence Ehrenberg House (built in 1911, listed in 2007) add to the list of historic homes.
  • The Finch House (built around 1897, listed in 1976) was designed by famous architects.
  • The Glover House (built around 1888, listed in 1973) was also designed by a well-known architect.
  • The Hill–Hilscher House (listed in 2014) and Levi and May Arkwright Hutton House (built in 1914, listed in 2002) are important homes. The Hutton House belonged to May Arkwright Hutton, a famous person in Spokane's history.
  • The Kiesow-Gentsch House (listed in 2015) and Knight House (built in 1910, listed in 1999) are more historic residences.
  • The Koerner House (built in 1912, listed in 1999) and Levesque-Majer House (listed in 2015) are also on the list.
  • Littlebrook (built in 1905, listed in 1996) is a historic property.
  • The Marycliff-Cliff Park Historic District (listed in 1979) and Mission Avenue Historic District (listed in 1986) are more historic neighborhoods.
  • The Muzzy-Shine House (listed in 2010) and Nettleton's Addition Historic District (listed in 2006) are also important.
  • The Ninth Avenue Historic District (listed in 1994) and Peaceful Valley Historic District (listed in 1984) are other historic neighborhoods.
  • The Victor & Jean Piollet House (listed in 2010) and John and Mary Ralston House (built in 1900, listed in 2002) are historic homes.
  • The Richardson-Jackson House (built in 1906, listed in 2006) and Robinwood Apartments (built in 1939, listed in 2005) are historic residences.
  • The Rockwood Historic District (listed in 1997) is a beautiful historic neighborhood.
  • The Roosevelt Apartments (built in 1929, listed in 2000) are historic apartment buildings.
  • The Rosebush House (listed in 2000) is another historic home.
  • The William O. and Stella M. Seligman House (listed in 2014) and Edwin A. Smith House (built around 1912, listed in 1985) are also on the list.
  • The William and Margaret Solby House (built in 1926, listed in 2007) and Spokane Sash and Door Company Flats (built in 1909, listed in 2005) are historic properties.
  • The Dr. Charles and Elsie Thomas House (built in 1907, listed in 2007) and Frank and Maude Tuell House (listed in 2006) are historic homes.
  • The Luther P. and Jane Marie Turner House (built in 1916, listed in 2003) and Lawrence and Lydia Weaver House (built in 1910, listed in 2002) are also historic.
  • The Ralston and Sarah Wilbur House (built in 1916, listed in 2006) and James and Corinne Williams House (built in 1911, listed in 2003) complete this list of historic residences.

Spokane's Public and Industrial History

Spokane also has historic places related to its public services and industries.

  • The Benewah Milk Bottle (built in 1935, listed in 1986) is a unique building shaped like a milk bottle!
  • The Bing Crosby Theater (built around 1915, listed in 1988) is a historic theater, also known as the Clemmer Theater.
  • The Cowley Park (built in 1917, listed in 1973) is a historic park.
  • The Desmet Avenue Warehouse Historic District (listed in 1997) shows where many old warehouses were located.
  • The Felts Field Historic District (listed in 1991) is a historic airport area.
  • The First Congregational Church of Spokane (built in 1890, listed in 1978) is a beautiful old church.
  • The Five Mile Prairie School (built in 1939, listed in 2004) is another historic school.
  • Fort George Wright Historic District (founded in 1897, listed in 1976) was once a military fort.
  • The Fox Theater (built in 1931, listed in 2001) is a famous theater that was later renamed the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox.
  • The Frequency Changing Station (built in 1908, listed in 1979) was important for Spokane's power system.
  • The W. P. Fuller and Company Warehouse (built around 1915, listed in 1996) was a large warehouse.
  • The Garland Theater (listed in 2013) is another historic movie theater.
  • The Grace Baptist Church (built in 1908, listed in 1992) is a historic church.
  • The Hillyard High School (built in 1912, listed in 2005) was converted into apartments.
  • The Hillyard Historic Business District (listed in 2002) shows the history of the Hillyard neighborhood.
  • The Holy Names Academy Building (built in 1891, listed in 1986) was a school.
  • The Hotel Upton (built in 1910, listed in 1994) was also known as the Grand Coulee Building.
  • The Hutton Settlement (listed in 1976) was a home for children.
  • The John A. Finch Memorial Nurses Home (built in 1929, listed in 1991) was a home for nurses.
  • The John A. Finch School (listed in 2014) is another historic school.
  • The Lewis and Clark High School (listed in 1990) is a well-known high school.
  • Manito Park and Boulevard (listed in 2015) is a beautiful historic park.
  • The Gustav Meese Building (listed in 1996) is a historic building.
  • The Monroe Street Bridge (built in 1911, listed in 1976) was once the longest concrete bridge of its kind in the US!
  • Mount Saint Michael (built in 1916, listed in 2000) is a historic religious site.
  • The Natatorium Carousel (built around 1909, listed in 1977) is a beautiful old carousel designed by Charles I. D. Looff. It was moved to Riverfront Park.
  • The John R. Rogers High School (listed in 2010) is another historic high school.
  • The Royal Riblet House (built in 1925, listed in 1979) is a historic home east of Spokane.
  • The Schade Brewery (built 1902-1903, listed in 1994) is a historic brewery.
  • The Sears, Roebuck Department Store (built in 1929, listed in 1991) was an Art Deco building that was taken down in 1992.
  • The Spokane County Courthouse (built 1894-1895, listed in 1974) is a grand building where county government operates.
  • The Spokane Fire Station No. 3 (listed in 1994) is a historic fire station.
  • The Spokane Flour Mill (built in 1895, listed in 1978) was an important mill.
  • The Spokane & Inland Empire Railroad Car Facility (listed in 2010) was a place for train cars.
  • Spokane has several historic libraries, including the Spokane Public Library - North Monroe Branch (listed in 1982), Heath Branch (built around 1913, listed in 1982), East Side Branch (listed in 1982), and the Main Spokane Public Library (listed in 1982). Many of these were "Carnegie Libraries," built with money from Andrew Carnegie.
  • The Sunset Boulevard Bridge (built 1911-1914, listed in 1982) is a historic bridge.
  • The Washington Street Bridge (built in 1908, listed in 1982) was an old bridge that was taken down in 1983.
  • The Eben and Cynthia Palmer Farmstead (listed in 2015) is a historic farm.

Former Historic Places

Sometimes, places that were once on the National Register of Historic Places are removed, often because they are taken down.

  • The Hyde Building and Annex (built in 1890, listed in 1978) was a historic building in Spokane that was taken down in 1979.
  • Strahorn Pines (built in 1904, listed in 1974) was a home designed by Kirtland Cutter. It was also taken down in 1974.

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