Tacoma’s Pre-War Architects & Historic Neighborhoods

Tacoma’s historic character was shaped before World War II by visionary architects who designed schools, mansions, civic landmarks, and entire neighborhoods. From grand Beaux-Arts train stations to modest Craftsman bungalows, each style tells a story of Tacoma’s growth during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This guide highlights the city’s prominent pre-war architects, their hallmark styles, and the neighborhoods where you can still explore their work today.

Stadium District & North Yakima

• Frederick Heath

  • Stadium High School (1891 rebuild – French château style)

  • Pythian Temple (1906 – Second Renaissance Revival)

• Ambrose J. Russell

  • William Ross Rust Mansion (1905 – Classical Revival, “Tacoma’s White House”)

  • North Yakima Ave mansions

• Style Hallmarks: Châteauesque roofs, ornate stonework, Renaissance detailing, grand civic scale
  

  

  Stadium High School (1891 rebuild – French château style), Frederick Heath

  

  William Ross Rust Mansion (1905 – Classical Revival, “Tacoma’s White House”), Ambrose J. Russell

North Slope & Proctor District

• John Proctor

  • Numerous homes on South Proctor Street

  • Modest middle-class row houses still standing

• Arnott Woodroofe & Arnold Constable

  • Over 60 Craftsman homes in Tacoma/Lakewood

  • Forbes House and Park Universalist Church (1909)

• Silas E. Nelsen (early career)

  • Tudor and Colonial Revival homes with brick, half-timbering, and classical proportions

• Style Hallmarks: Craftsman bungalows with wide eaves and exposed rafters, Tudor half-timbering, Colonial symmetry
  

Old Town & Early Tacoma

• Frederick A. Sexton

  • The Sisters twin homes (1889 – Queen Anne eclectic)

  • Biltmore Apartments (1890)

  • Early institutional designs like Puget Sound University (demolished)

• Style Hallmarks: Victorian eclecticism, ornamental brick, asymmetry

  
  

Downtown Tacoma & Theater District

• Frederick Heath

  • Numerous civic and religious landmarks downtown

• Édouard Frère Champney

  • Elks Temple (1916 – Beaux-Arts; now McMenamins)

• Reed & Stem (St. Paul, MN firm)

  • Union Station (1911 – Beaux-Arts copper dome, monumental rotunda)

• Style Hallmarks: Beaux-Arts grandeur, stone façades, sculptural ornament, civic scale
  

Lakewood & Outlying Estates

• Ambrose J. Russell & Frederick Heath

  • Rhodesleigh Mansion (1922 – Tudor Revival, built for the Rhodes family)

• Style Hallmarks: Tudor Revival estates with steep gables, brickwork, and expansive square footage
  

Self-Built & Kit Homes Across Tacoma

• Between 1908–1940, many Tacoma families purchased Sears Modern Homes or other catalog houses.

• Kits arrived by rail with pre-cut lumber, doors, windows, fixtures, and even plumbing.

• Homeowners often built them themselves with friends or hired local carpenters.

• Where to See: North Slope, Proctor, College Park neighborhoods.

• Style Hallmarks: Affordable Craftsman bungalows, front porches, standardized layouts like the “Alhambra,” “Crescent,” and “Argyle.”
  

Closing

Tacoma’s neighborhoods are living museums — from grand mansions in the Stadium District to self-built Sears homes in Proctor. Each tells the story of how Tacoma grew, adapted, and defined its identity through design.

Rebecca Araquistain — RA HomemakerHistoric Homes • Design • Real Estate in Tacoma, WA

Sources & Further Reading

The stories and details in Tacoma’s Tapestry are drawn from a variety of trusted historical and architectural resources. If you’d like to dive deeper into Tacoma’s rich design heritage, explore the collections below:

• Historic Tacoma – Notable Architects & Landmarks

• City of Tacoma Historic Preservation – Historic Districts & Landmarks

• HistoryLink – Tacoma Architecture & Community Histories

• Wikipedia – Tacoma’s Landmarks, Neighborhoods & Notable Buildings

• South Sound Talk – Tacoma’s Rust Mansion

• The Clio – Stadium–Seminary Historic District Tour

• University of Puget Sound Archives – Tacoma Kit Houses & Neighborhood History

• King 5 Evening – Seattle & Tacoma’s Sears Kit Homes