National Register of Historic Places

Thurston County Courthouse

Olympia, Thurston County, Washington
Listed
July 22, 1981
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
81000592

About this property

The Thurston County Courthouse a.k.a. the Capitol Court Building in Olympia, Washington is the former headquarters of Thurston County. It was built in 1930 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1981. In 1978, the court was relocated to Olympia's Westside; the building remained vacant until 1989 and renovations were completed in 1991. Since 1995, offices in the building have been leased by various government agencies and private businesses. The Art Deco style, reinforced concrete building has 50,000 square feet (4,600 m2) of floor space and is made of Tenino sandstone. It is 4 stories tall, with a raised basement, a 2-story addition on each side, and topped with a rectangular tower. The foundation measures 184.5 feet (56.2 m) by 84 feet (26 m). The primary contractor was Walter Boyer of Yakima. On March 25, 1929, Joseph Wohleb was selected to design a new courthouse for Thurston County, to be located at the southeast corner of Capitol Way and 11th Avenue. Construction was completed the following year for a project cost of $350,000 (equivalent to $6.75 million in 2025). A formal dedication ceremony took place on Friday, September 12, 1930 with hundreds in attendance; the courthouse was officially open for business the following Monday, September 15. In 2020, the building underwent a $3.5 million renovation, including cleaning, repairs to cracks in historic sandstone exterior masonry, and restoration of original windows. National Register of Historic Places listings in Thurston County, Washington Media related to Thurston County Courthouse (Washington) at Wikimedia Commons

Location

Olympia, Thurston County, Washington
47.03761, -122.90003

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
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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Nearby Historic Sites

General Administration Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Women's Club
Industrial
0.1 mi
Steele, Alden Hatch, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Washington State Capitol Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
U.S. Post Office
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Thurston County Courthouse listed on the National Register?

Thurston County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 22, 1981.

What type of historic resource is Thurston County Courthouse?

Thurston County Courthouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Thurston County Courthouse?

The period of significance for Thurston County Courthouse is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Thurston County Courthouse?

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