List of National Historic Landmarks in Washington (state)

This is a complete List of National Historic Landmarks in Washington. The United States National Historic Landmark program is operated under the auspices of the National Park Service, and recognizes structures, districts, objects, and similar resources nationwide according to a list of criteria of national significance.[1] The state of Washington is home to 24 of these landmarks, extensively highlighting the state's maritime heritage (with eight individual boats) and contributions to the national park movement (including three sites within Mount Rainier National Park, which is also listed), while recognizing a range of other aspects of its historic legacy.


A view of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, a National Historic Landmark since 1992.

Current NHLs in Washington

edit

The table below lists the 24 Washington sites (including one that spans the Washington-Oregon state line) that are currently designated as National Historic Landmarks, along with descriptions and other details.

[2] Landmark name Image Date designated[3] Location County Description
1 ADVENTURESS (Schooner)
 
ADVENTURESS (Schooner)
April 11, 1989
(#89001067)
Port Townsend
47°38′06″N 122°19′39″W / 47.635°N 122.3275°W / 47.635; -122.3275 (ADVENTURESS (Schooner))
Jefferson Built in 1913 as a yacht for private Arctic exploration, this schooner actually spent most of its career as a pilot boat at San Francisco. It is significant as an example of the work of the naval architect Bowdoin B. Crowninshield, who greatly influenced 20th century American yacht and schooner design.
2 American and English Camps, San Juan Island
 
American and English Camps, San Juan Island
November 5, 1961
(#66000369)
Friday Harbor
48°27′49″N 123°01′14″W / 48.4636°N 123.02055°W / 48.4636; -123.02055 (American and English Camps, San Juan Island)
San Juan Both of these camps were set up in 1859 as response to the hostilities of the Pig War. The camps were occupied for 12 years, until the Treaty of Washington was signed, negotiated by Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany. The British abandoned their camp in November 1872, while the American camp was disbanded in July 1874.[4]
3 ARTHUR FOSS (Tug)
 
ARTHUR FOSS (Tug)
April 11, 1989
(#89001078)
Seattle
47°37′41″N 122°20′13″W / 47.628142°N 122.336867°W / 47.628142; -122.336867 (ARTHUR FOSS (Tug))
King Built in 1889, the Arthur Foss is the oldest wooden-hulled tugboat afloat. She gained worldwide fame when the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie studio leased the vessel for its 1933 production Tugboat Annie, starring Marie Dressler and Wallace Beery.[5] In World War II, Arthur Foss was the last boat to escape before the Battle of Wake Island began in December 1941.[6]
4 B Reactor
 
B Reactor
August 19, 2008
(#92000245)
About 5.3 miles (8.5 km) northeast of junction of State Route 24 and State Route 240 on the Hanford Site
46°37′49″N 119°38′51″W / 46.63032°N 119.64738°W / 46.63032; -119.64738 (B Reactor)
Benton The B-Reactor at Hanford Site, Washington, was the first large scale plutonium production reactor ever built. The project was commissioned under the Manhattan Project, during World War II, to develop the first nuclear weapons.
5 Bonneville Dam Historic District
 
Bonneville Dam Historic District
June 30, 1987
(#86000727)
North Bonneville, WA and Bonneville, OR
45°38′38″N 121°57′42″W / 45.64389°N 121.96167°W / 45.64389; -121.96167 (Bonneville Dam Historic District)
Skamania, WA and Multnomah, OR Built in the 1930s to harness the Columbia River for power generation, this was the first hydroelectric dam with a hydraulic drop sufficient to produce 500,000 kW of hydropower. The NHL district covers the dam and other elements of the federal dam project, including the #1 powerhouse, navigation lock, fish ladder, and hatchery. The site is also listed in Oregon.
6 Chinook Point
 
Chinook Point
July 4, 1961
(#66000747)
Chinook
46°15′07″N 123°55′23″W / 46.25194°N 123.923°W / 46.25194; -123.923 (Chinook Point)
Pacific Captain Robert Gray became the first European to see the Columbia River at this location in 1792.[7] His explorations gave the United States a strong position in its later territorial contests with Great Britain.
7 Duwamish (Fireboat)
 
Duwamish (Fireboat)
June 30, 1989
(#89001448)
Seattle
47°39′50″N 122°23′39″W / 47.6638°N 122.3941°W / 47.6638; -122.3941 (Duwamish (Fireboat))
King Built in 1909, the Duwamish is the second-oldest boat in the US built specifically for firefighting.
8 Fireboat No. 1
 
Fireboat No. 1
June 30, 1989
(#83004254)
Tacoma
47°17′12″N 122°29′22″W / 47.2868°N 122.4894°W / 47.2868; -122.4894 (Fireboat No. 1)
Pierce Built in 1929, Fireboat No. 1 is now in permanent dry dock in Tacoma.
9 Fort Nisqually Granary
 
Fort Nisqually Granary
April 15, 1970
(#70000647)
Tacoma
47°18′13″N 122°31′58″W / 47.3035°N 122.5327°W / 47.3035; -122.5327 (Fort Nisqually Granary)
Pierce Established in 1833, Fort Nisqually was the first European trading post on Puget Sound.[8] Both of these buildings have been moved to Point Defiance Park, and a replica of the original Fort Nisqually as a living museum.
10 Fort Worden
 
Fort Worden
December 8, 1976
(#74001954)
Port Townsend
48°07′59″N 122°45′55″W / 48.133°N 122.7653°W / 48.133; -122.7653 (Fort Worden)
Jefferson Fort Worden was built during the Endicott period of US seacoast defense building. It is now a Washington state park.
11 Lightship No. 83 "SWIFTSURE"
 
Lightship No. 83 "SWIFTSURE"
April 11, 1989
(#75001852)
Seattle
47°37′40″N 122°20′12″W / 47.6278°N 122.3367°W / 47.6278; -122.3367 (Lightship No. 83 "SWIFTSURE")
King Built in 1904, Lightship No. 83 is the oldest surviving American lightvessel. Now moored at Northwest Seaport at Lake Union Park and re-named SWIFTSURE after the closest former lightship station to Seattle, it has been undergoing a comprehensive rehabilitation since 2008.[9]
12 Longmire Buildings
 
Longmire Buildings
May 28, 1987
(#87001338)
Mount Rainier National Park
46°44′56″N 121°48′34″W / 46.7489°N 121.8094°W / 46.7489; -121.8094 (Longmire Buildings)
Pierce The three contributing buildings are the Service Station, the Community Building, and the third (former) Administration Building,[10][11] and are examples of National Park Service Rustic architecture.
13 Marmes Rockshelter
 
Marmes Rockshelter
July 19, 1964
(#66000745)
Lyons Ferry
46°36′52″N 118°12′09″W / 46.61431°N 118.20242°W / 46.61431; -118.20242 (Marmes Rockshelter)
Franklin Despite being the fact that human remains at the site are the oldest that have been found in Washington, and at the time of excavation, the oldest set of remains found in North America,[12] the site was submerged under water after the closing of the Lower Monumental Lock and Dam.[13]
14 Mount Rainier National Park
 
Mount Rainier National Park
February 18, 1997
(#97000344)
Mount Rainier National Park
46°49′59″N 121°49′59″W / 46.833°N 121.833°W / 46.833; -121.833 (Mount Rainier National Park)
Pierce and Lewis The National Park Service's master planning process at this national park in the 1920s marked a significant evolution in the professional management of scenic and recreational lands. The park retains most of the facilities that grew out of this pioneer plan.
15 Panama Hotel
 
Panama Hotel
March 20, 2006
(#06000462)
Seattle
47°36′00″N 122°19′34″W / 47.60003°N 122.32623°W / 47.60003; -122.32623 (Panama Hotel)
King Built in 1910, this building holds the last remaining Japanese bathhouse (sento) in the United States.[14]
16 Paradise Inn
 
Paradise Inn
May 28, 1987
(#87001336)
Mount Rainier National Park
46°47′06″N 121°43′57″W / 46.78498°N 121.7326°W / 46.78498; -121.7326 (Paradise Inn)
Pierce Opened in 1917, and built in the National Park Service Rustic style of architecture.
17 Pioneer Building, Pergola, and Totem Pole
 
Pioneer Building, Pergola, and Totem Pole
May 5, 1977
(#77001340)
Seattle
47°36′02″N 122°19′57″W / 47.6005°N 122.3324°W / 47.6005; -122.3324 (Pioneer Building, Pergola, and Totem Pole)
King The Pioneer Building is a Richardsonian Romanesque building built in 1892. The Pergola was formerly a cable car stop built in 1909,[15] and the Seattle Totem Pole, which was originally carved around 1790, was stolen from a Tlingit village, and presented to the city of Seattle by its Chamber of Commerce in 1899.[16]
18 Port Gamble Historic District
 
Port Gamble Historic District
November 13, 1966
(#66000746)
Port Gamble
47°51′18″N 122°35′02″W / 47.8550°N 122.58389°W / 47.8550; -122.58389 (Port Gamble Historic District)
Kitsap This company town was founded in 1853, and ran the longest running timber mill in the US, which just closed in 1995. Seattle architect Charles Bebb designed many of the town's buildings.[17]
19 Port Townsend
 
Port Townsend
May 5, 1977
(#76001883)
Port Townsend
48°06′54″N 122°45′19″W / 48.115°N 122.7553°W / 48.115; -122.7553 (Port Townsend)
Jefferson Formerly a prosperous customs station, this town retains a significant collection of 19th century commercial and residential buildings.
20 Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
 
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
August 27, 1992
(#88003053)
Bremerton
47°33′32″N 122°38′17″W / 47.5589°N 122.63806°W / 47.5589; -122.63806 (Puget Sound Naval Shipyard)
Kitsap This shipyard was the primary repair destination for damaged battleships during World War II. Of the eight ships bombed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, five were repaired here.
21 Seattle Electric Company Georgetown Steam Plant
 
Seattle Electric Company Georgetown Steam Plant
July 5, 1984
(#78002755)
Seattle
47°32′01″N 122°19′18″W / 47.5337°N 122.3216°W / 47.5337; -122.3216 (Seattle Electric Company Georgetown Steam Plant)
King Originally built in 1906 to power interurban rail transport between Seattle and Tacoma, the building is now a museum, and houses the only functioning Curtis Vertical Steam Turbogenerator in existence.
22 Virginia V (Steamboat)
 
Virginia V (Steamboat)
October 5, 1992
(#73001875)
Seattle
47°37′48″N 122°22′54″W / 47.62988°N 122.3816°W / 47.62988; -122.3816 (Virginia V (Steamboat))
King Constructed in 1922, the Virginia V is the last functioning ship of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet, and the only "wooden-hull, steam-powered, passenger vessel" that operates on the West Coast of the United States.[18]
23 W.T. Preston (Snagboat)
 
W.T. Preston (Snagboat)
May 5, 1989
(#72001270)
Anacortes
47°39′51″N 122°23′44″W / 47.6641°N 122.3956°W / 47.6641; -122.3956 (W.T. Preston (Snagboat))
Skagit From 1929 to 1981, the Preston worked clearing rivers of debris, to make them passable to ship traffic. Today the boat is in permanent dry dock, and houses a museum.
24 Yakima Park Stockade Group
 
Yakima Park Stockade Group
May 28, 1987
(#87001337)
Mount Rainier National Park
46°54′42″N 121°38′33″W / 46.9117°N 121.6424°W / 46.9117; -121.6424 (Yakima Park Stockade Group)
Pierce Log building complex of four individual buildings in Mount Rainier National Park that is architecturally significant on its own.

Historic areas in the United States National Park System

edit

National Historic Sites, National Historic Parks, National Memorials, and certain other areas listed in the National Park system are more highly protected than other historic sites, and are often not also named National Historic Landmarks. There are five of these in Washington (six are listed, but San Juan National Historic Park is already listed here as "American and English Camps"), which the National Park Service lists together with the National Historic Landmarks in the state.[19]

[20] Landmark name Image Date established Location City or Town Summary
1 Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve   November 10, 1978 Whidbey Island Island County, Washington The only National Historic Reserve, this park consists of a mixture of public and private lands, including the Central Whidbey Island Historic District, which is listed on the National Register.
2 Fort Vancouver National Historic Site   June 19, 1948 Vancouver, Washington and
Oregon City, Oregon
This site consists of the location of Fort Vancouver in Washington, and the house of John McLoughlin in Oregon City, Oregon. All the buildings at the fort burned in 1866, but were all rebuilt in their original places in 1966.
3 Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park   June 30, 1976 Skagway, Alaska and
Seattle, Washington
This park, with units in Washington and Alaska, is part of the Klondike Gold Rush International Historical Park, along with British Columbia's Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site.
4 Nez Perce National Historical Park   May 15, 1965 Sites in Idaho, Montana
Oregon and Washington
Of the 38 sites in this park that commemorates the history of the Nez Perce people, two are in Washington: the Burial Site of Chief Joseph the Younger and Nez Perce Campsites at Nespelem.
5 Whitman Mission National Historic Site   June 29, 1936 Walla Walla Walla Walla This was the site of a mission founded by Oregon Trail emigrants. In 1847, members of the Cayuse tribe killed thirteen of the settlers, prompting the US to annex the land as the Oregon Territory, and begin the Cayuse War.

Former NHL in Washington

edit

In addition, there is one current National Historic Landmark that was once in Washington but was relocated to another state.

Landmark name Image Date of
designation
Date of
move
Locality County
1 USCGC Fir[21]   April 27, 1992 September 2002 Seattle (formerly)[21]
47°35′18″N 122°20′19″W / 47.5884351948°N 122.338713015°W / 47.5884351948; -122.338713015 (USCGC Fir)
King (formerly)[21] This lighthouse tender was the last working vessel in the fleet of the United States Lighthouse Service, the ancestors of today's Coast Guard buoy tenders. Built in 1939 and decommissioned in 1991,[22] it is the last surviving ship of its type, and was largely unmodified at the time of its nomination. Fir was once expected to be a museum ship in Staten Island, New York, but was moved to California.[21][23] In 2010 it was reported to be moored in San Francisco.[24]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "National Historic Landmarks Program: Questions and Answers". Retrieved September 21, 2007.
  2. ^ Numbers represent an alphabetical ordering by significant words. Various colorings, defined here, differentiate National Historic Landmarks and historic districts from other NRHP buildings, structures, sites or objects.
  3. ^ The eight-digit number below each date is the number assigned to each location in the National Register Information System database, which can be viewed by clicking the number.
  4. ^ "San Juan Island National Historical Park". Retrieved February 27, 2008.
  5. ^ McKenna 2001, p. 377
  6. ^ Brahms 2005, p. 536
  7. ^ Brokenshire 1993, p. 47
  8. ^ Robertson 1995, p. 313
  9. ^ "Lightship SWIFTSURE (LV-83, then WAL-508)". Historic Naval Ships Association. Archived from the original on May 15, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  10. ^ "National Historic Landmark Nomination" (PDF). Retrieved February 27, 2008.
  11. ^ "National Historic Landmarks Program". Archived from the original on January 30, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2008.
  12. ^ "The Man They Ate for Dinner". Time Magazine. May 10, 1968. Archived from the original on October 29, 2010. Retrieved February 27, 2008.
  13. ^ LeWarne 2003, pp. 23–24
  14. ^ Alanen & Melnick 2000, p. 166
  15. ^ "Pioneer Square picks up year's pieces". seattlepi.com. December 31, 2001. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  16. ^ Wilma, David. "Stolen totem pole unveiled in Seattle's Pioneer Square on October 18, 1899". Retrieved February 27, 2008.
  17. ^ Carlson & Canell 2003, p. 232
  18. ^ Johnson, Larry E. "Virginia V, Last Mosquito Fleet Steamer". Retrieved February 27, 2008.
  19. ^ These are listed on p.116 of "National Historic Landmarks Survey: List of National Historic Landmarks by State", covering the six directly administered areas.
  20. ^ Numbers represent an ordering by significant words. Various colorings, defined here, differentiate the National Historic Reserve, National Historic Sites, and other types of NPS designations.
  21. ^ a b c d "National Register Information System". Archived from the original on June 11, 2007. Retrieved November 4, 2007.
  22. ^ "USCGC FIR History". Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved February 28, 2008.
  23. ^ Shanks, Ralph (1991). "U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Fir (WLM 212) National Historic Landmark Study". Retrieved February 28, 2008.
  24. ^ "USGC Fir (WLM-212)". The Royal Court of the United States Coast Guard. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.

Sources

edit
edit