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

Location of Thurston County in Washington

This article is about the special places in Thurston County, Washington that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This register is like a national scrapbook of important buildings, sites, and objects that tell us about America's past. When a place is on this list, it means it's recognized for its history, architecture, or what it means to our culture.

Thurston County, located in Washington, has 65 different properties and areas that are part of this important list. These places help us remember and learn about the people and events that shaped the county over many years.

Exploring Thurston County's Historic Places
Images for kids

Exploring Thurston County's Historic Places

Thurston County is home to many fascinating historic sites. These places range from old houses and schools to important government buildings and even a historic boat! Each one has a unique story to tell about the county's past.

Historic Homes and Buildings

Many of the places on the National Register are old homes and buildings. They show us how people lived and worked a long time ago.

Old Houses with Stories

The Daniel R. Bigelow House in Olympia was built way back in 1854. Imagine living in a house that's almost 170 years old!
The Calvin and Pamela Hale House, also in Olympia, was built in 1882. It's a beautiful example of homes from that time.
The Cloverfields house, built in 1914, and the Funk House are other interesting homes in Olympia that are part of this list.
In Rochester, you can find the Jonas and Maria Lovisa Erickson Farmstead, which tells us about early farming life. The Miller-Brewer House and the Jaaska House and Warehouse are also historic spots in Rochester.

Important Public Buildings

The Old Capitol Building in Olympia was built in 1892. It served as Washington State's capitol building for many years and is a very important landmark.
The Thurston County Courthouse in Olympia, built in 1930, is another key government building on the list.
The U.S. Post Office in Olympia, built in 1914, and the Olympia Public Library, built in the same year, show us important community services from the past.
The General Administration Building in Olympia, built in 1954, is also recognized for its historical value.

Other Notable Buildings

The Allen House Hotel in Olympia, built in 1891, is now known as the Jefferson Apartments. It's cool to see how old buildings get new uses!
The Elks Building in Olympia, built in 1920, was once a meeting place for a community group.
The Mottman Building in Olympia, built in 1890, is an example of early commercial architecture.
The Olympia National Bank, built in 1915, shows us what banks looked like a century ago.
The Women's Club in Olympia, built in 1883, was an important gathering place for women in the community.

Historic Schools and Education

Several old school buildings in Thurston County are on the National Register, reminding us of how education has changed over time.

The Black Lake School in Olympia and the Delphi School in Delphi are examples of early rural schools.
The Gate School in Gate, the Lackamas School in Yelm, and the Nisqually School near the Nisqually Reservation also highlight the history of local education.
The Rainier School in Rainier and the Rochester Elementary School in Rochester are also recognized.
The State Training School for Girls Administration Building in Rochester shows a different side of educational history.

Unique Historic Sites

Not all historic places are buildings. Some are bridges, parks, or even boats!

Bridges and Waterways

The Capital Boulevard Crossing spans the Deschutes River in Tumwater. It's an important bridge that connects parts of the county.
The Dofflemyer Point Light is a lighthouse in Boston Harbor. Lighthouses are important for guiding ships safely.
The LOTUS (motor vessel) is a historic boat docked at Fiddlehead Marina in Olympia. It's amazing that a boat can be a historic landmark!
The SAND MAN (Tug Boat) is another historic vessel, a tugboat, located at the Port of Olympia.

Parks and Cemeteries

The Chamber's Prairie-Ruddell Pioneer Cemetery in Lacey is a very old cemetery, dating back to 1852. It's a quiet place to remember early settlers.
Millersylvania State Park in Olympia is a beautiful natural area that is also historically significant.
Town Square in Olympia, established in 1850, is now known as Sylvester Park. It's a historic public space.
The Union Cemetery-Pioneer Calvary Cemetery in Tumwater is another historic burial ground.

Industrial and Natural History

The Tenino Depot in Tenino was an important train station, showing the history of transportation.
The Tenino Stone Company Quarry in Tenino's City Park tells the story of the stone industry in the area.
The Weyerhaeuser South Bay Log Dump Rural Historic Landscape (also known as the Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area) near Olympia shows the history of logging and how natural areas are preserved.

Historic Districts

Sometimes, a whole area or neighborhood is considered historic because it has many important buildings together.

The Olympia Downtown Historic District includes many blocks in downtown Olympia, showing how the city center developed over time.
The South Capitol Neighborhood Historic District in Olympia is another area with many historic homes and buildings.
The Tenino Downtown Historic District in Tenino highlights the historic center of that town.
The Tumwater Historic District in Tumwater includes important sites around Capitol Lake and the Deschutes River.
The Washington State Capitol Historic District in Olympia includes the capitol building and its surrounding areas, which are very important to the state's history.

Images for kids

The historic Allen House Hotel in Olympia.
The American Legion Hall in Olympia.
The Daniel R. Bigelow House, built in 1854.
The old Black Lake School.
The Capital Boulevard Crossing bridge over the Deschutes River.
Entrance to Chamber's Prairie-Ruddell Pioneer Cemetery.
The historic Cloverfields house.
The Colvin House in Tenino.
The Delphi School building.
The Dofflemyer Point Light.
The Elks Building in Olympia.
The Jonas and Maria Lovisa Erickson Farmstead.
The Funk House in Olympia.
The Gate School.
The General Administration Building in Olympia.
The Georgia-Pacific Plywood Company Office.
The Calvin and Pamela Hale House.
The Jaaska Warehouse in Rochester.
The Jeffers Studio in Olympia.
The Johnson House in Yelm.
The Lackamas School.
The Long Lake Recreation Hall.
The C. J. Lord Mansion.
The historic motor vessel LOTUS.
The Henry McCleary House.
The Meyer House in Olympia.
The Miller-Brewer House in Rochester.
Deep Lake at Millersylvania State Park.
The Mottman Building in Olympia.
The Nisqually School.
The Old Capitol Building in Olympia.
A street view in the Olympia Downtown Historic District.
The Olympia National Bank building.
The Olympia Public Library.
The Charles Patnude House.
The Rainier School.
The Reinhart-Young House (also known as Byrd House).
The L. N. Rice House in Yelm.
The Rochester Elementary School.
The Frank Rudkin House.
The Salsich Lumber Company Superintendent's House.
The historic tugboat SAND MAN.
The F. W. Schmidt House.
The Trueman and Virginia Schmidt House.
The site of Seatco Prison.
A view of the South Capitol Neighborhood Historic District.
The State Training School for Girls Administration Building.
The Alden Hatch Steele House.
The Richard and Lydia Stoecker House.
The Tenino Depot.
A building in the Tenino Downtown Historic District.
The Tenino Stone Company Quarry.
The Thurston County Courthouse.
The Ticknor School.
Town Square, now known as Sylvester Park.
A view of the Tumwater Historic District.
The Tumwater Methodist Church.
The U.S. Post Office in Olympia.
The Union Cemetery-Pioneer Calvary Cemetery.
The Union Mills Superintendent's House.
The Washington State Capitol.
The Washington State Library.
The Weyerhaeuser South Bay Log Dump Rural Historic Landscape.
The Women's Club in Olympia.

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