Olympia Downtown Historic District
National Register of Historic Places

Olympia Downtown Historic District

Olympia, Thurston County, Washington
Listed
September 14, 2004
Type
District
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
04001008

About this property

The Olympia Downtown Historic District is a historic district located in Olympia, Washington, the state's capital. The district, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2004, covers 17 blocks in downtown Olympia and includes 51 contributing properties. The majority of buildings in Downtown Olympia were built between 1911 and 1930, decades after Washington gained statehood with Olympia as its capital city. Three earthquakes, in 1949, 1965 and 2001, damaged buildings in downtown Olympia. Several properties in the historic district were designed by architect Joseph Wohleb, who hails from the area.

Location

Olympia, Thurston County, Washington
47.04420, -122.90047

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTCOMMERCETRANSPORTATIONPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONLANDSCAPE ARCHITECTUREARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Olympia Downtown Historic District

This page lists Olympia Downtown Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Jeffers Studio
Industrial
0 mi
Olympia National Bank
Industrial
0 mi
Capital Savings and Loan Association
Industrial
0.1 mi
Mottman Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Town Square
Listed
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Olympia Downtown Historic District listed on the National Register?

Olympia Downtown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 14, 2004.

What type of historic resource is Olympia Downtown Historic District?

Olympia Downtown Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Olympia Downtown Historic District?

The period of significance for Olympia Downtown Historic District is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near Olympia Downtown Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Olympia Downtown Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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Conflict records

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Washington history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

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