Richards, T.G., and Company Store
About this property
The T.G. Richards and Company Store, also known as Whatcom County Territorial Courthouse, is the first and oldest brick building in the state of Washington, United States, and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. This two-story brick building was built in 1858 by the partnership of Thomas G. Richards and his brother Charles E. Richards, for a cost of US $8,000. A note in one of Howard Buswell's files, located in the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, identifies John Alexander (a prominent settler on Whidbey Island) as being in charge of the construction. It was initially used as a storehouse of the T. G. Richards Company, supplying those stopping in what was then the town of Whatcom, Washington Territory, on their way to the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. The building was constructed of brick manufactured in San Francisco. In Spring of 2012, the bricks were scientifically matched to a Nagle brick fragment. Nagle was an early brick maker in the city. The bark Ann Parry brought the bricks to Bellingham Bay on July 16, 1858. The Daily Alta California Shipping Intelligence listed her carrying 100,000 bricks and 73 barrels of lime. A second ship, the DM Hall, may have brought the windows and doors. In 1863, the building was sold to Whatcom County for the price of US$2,000, to be used as the (third) County Courthouse for Whatcom County. Court matters such as trials were handled in Port Townsend, not Whatcom. However, the building has become known as the "Territorial Courthouse", because of its role as the county courthouse in the days before statehood. In addition, the building served as the jail, and in 1873, became the home of the Bellingham Bay Mail newspaper. By 1877, a pharmacy was being run on the first floor. Originally being bounded by the tide flats of the bay, in 1874 a breakwater was added in to protect the building's foundation from the sea. In 1883, a vault, and five additional jail cells were added. In 1889 the building was deemed unsafe for use, and the county government offices and jail were moved to temporary quarters nearby. (In 1891 the county moved into the new courthouse on "G" Street, constructed of Chuckanut sandstone.) In 1890-1891, the Women's Relief Corps (WRC), an organization benefiting veterans of the American Civil War, began to rent the building. By 1906, Whatcom County had deeded the building into the private sector, when it was sold to members of the Grand Army of the Republic, J. B. Steadman Post No. 24, and the WRC. The building has since seen the tide flats filled in, resulting in the rise of E Street, so that the first floor has become the basement, and the second floor becoming the ground floor. Later occupants include the members of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, a Jehovah's Witness Church, Aker's Taxidermy, The Northwest Passage (a 60s - 70s alternative newspaper), Base Camp, and lastly, a home to different artists and pottery makers. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
Location
Categories
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.
Everything a full report reveals about Richards, T.G., and Company Store
This page lists Richards, T.G., and Company Store. 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:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Richards, T.G., and Company Store listed on the National Register?
Richards, T.G., and Company Store was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 27, 2003.
What type of historic resource is Richards, T.G., and Company Store?
Richards, T.G., and Company Store is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Richards, T.G., and Company Store?
The period of significance for Richards, T.G., and Company Store is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Richards, T.G., and Company Store?
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 Richards, T.G., and Company Store will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Whatcom County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Whatcom County.
Explore WhatcomCounty ›More historic places in Washington
Browse all historic places in Washington.
View Washingtonhistoric sites ›Washington history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
Washingtonhistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Richards, T.G., and Company Store will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.