In Grays Harbor County, there are several spots that showcase iconic buildings immortalized on the National Register of Historic Places. Plan a road trip with the top down and music playing or wander through those open to the public. Art doesn’t have to hang on the wall or grace a pedestal or plinth. It can be right around the corner; you just have to know where to look. Here is where to see historic homes and buildings in Aberdeen and Hoquiam.
Carnegie Library: Hoquiam
More than 2,500 Carnegie libraries were built worldwide, with originally 44 in Washington State. To date, only 800 or so remain in use as libraries and one of those is Timberland Regional Library’s Hoquiam branch. These history-laden buildings shouldn’t be missed and make any road trip special. Stop in and check out tunes for the drive, books of local trivia or the Checkout Washington! pack with Discover passes that let you drop into parks along the way.
Hoquiam Olympic Stadium: Hoquiam
At nearly 100 years old, this WPA-built timber stadium can hold more than 7,500 fans even today. Made of old growth fir with cedar shingle siding, the u-shape grandstand is aligned so the audience is sheltered from chilly wind and rain off the ocean. The Hoquiam Olympic Stadium was dedicated at the annual Thanksgiving Day Aberdeen-Hoquiam football game on November 24, 1938.
Hotel Morck: Aberdeen
Once thought to be the finest hotel in Southwest Washington, the Hotel Morck was built in 1924 in the late 19th and early 20th Century Classical Revival style. In the 1960s, the hotel transitioned into apartments. Kurt Cobain even visited with friends in the early days of his career.
Edward and Louisa Hulbert House: Aberdeen
Finished in 1905, the home, also nicknamed the Aberdeen Mansion, contains locally quarried stone and wood milled by the Hulbert family’s mills. Over the years, the building has hosted community events, plenty of visitors and even, at one time, a small business in the old coach house.
Joseph Lytle House: Hoquiam
Located next to Hoquiam’s Castle and built by Robert Lytle’s brother, the Joseph Lytle House is iconically Victorian and frilly. Though smaller than the neighboring castle, it’s still a 7-bedroom and 6.5-bathroom masterwork of artisanal woodwork and stained glass.
Masonic Temple: Hoquiam
From 1922, this Beaux-Arts Masonic building was designed by 33rd degree Mason Albert Sutton and his partner Harrison A. Whitney. The sturdy fixture has a two-story ballroom and 1940s era elevator tower. The Masonic Temple in Hoquiam was originally built with rentable storefronts on street level while Temple activities used the upper two floors.
Lachlin McTaggert House: Hoquiam
An American Four Square home from 1907, this gorgeously simple home was built by jack-of-all-trades Lachlin McTaggert, who spent time as a builder, painter, investor, furniture maker and undertaker. Fully restored in the 1980s, it showcases leaded glass windows, the use of multiple local woods for the interior and even some original light fixtures.
F. Arnold Polson House and Alex Polson Grounds: Hoquiam
Now the Polson Museum, the F. Arnold Polson House and Alex Polson Grounds are on the banks of the Hoquiam River. Members and guests can explore the Burton Ross Memorial Rose Garden, outdoor machinery displays, hillside trail, and replica of the Polson Logging Company’s blacksmith shop. The Museum collects and displays all manner of Grays Harbor history including more than 30,000 photographs in an online photo database.
Seventh Street Theatre: Hoquiam
Built in 1928, the Seventh Steet Theatre was built to host both vaudeville and newly introduced talkies. Patrons felt as if they were in an outdoor Spanish garden. The ceiling was painted to look like an evening sky with twinkling lights as stars and the hall itself had urns and even ivy and cypress trees. Doors opened on July 10, 1928, but closed in 1957. After many years of changing hands, refurbishment was completed in 2000 and it has returned to being the community gem of yore. They even re-purchased the original organ in 2008.
Main Post Office: Hoquiam
Neo-Classical Revival buildings were tremendously popular from 1900 to the 1940s. The Hoquiam Main Post Office, which was built by the Treasury Department to share space with a federal office building, was completed in 1932 and is still in service. Stock up on Forever stamps and a little local history all under one roof.
We may not all be able to afford the gingerbread Victorian, Art Deco cottage, Craftsman bungalow or mid-century dreamhouse that makes our heart sing. But it doesn’t mean we can’t drive by and sigh wistfully at their curves, lines, decorative trim and well-preserved glory.
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