Stadium High School Fire, 1898 - Tacoma, Washington
Posted by: 
Hikenutty
N 47° 15.952 W 122° 26.895
10T E 541738 N 5234857
The building that is now Stadium High School was originally built to be a luxury hotel. The building was gutted by fire in 1898, at which point the company sold the structure to the city of Tacoma.
Waymark Code: WM2597
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 09/06/2007
Views: 139
The beautiful chateauesque-style building that is now Stadium High School was originally built to be a luxury hotel. In 1893, after 2 years of construction, a financial depression hit and the owners of the hotel, Northern Pacific Railroad, decided not to go forward with their plans for the building. Instead they began using the building to store lumber and shingles in.
In 1898 a fire of suspicious origin broke out in the building, gutting the structure. It was said that the glow in the sky could be seen in Seattle. Citizens came from all around to help put out the blaze. By now Northern Pacific was ready to be done with the building. They started taking bricks from the structure to use in construction of new railroad depots in Montana and Idaho.
The city of Tacoma, in desperate need of a high school, had other ideas for the building though and they seized the opportunity, purchasing the property and remaining shell of the building. By 1906 the building was completed and it opened as a high school. Recently a 2 year renovation took place and the building reopened for the school year of 2006-2007, its 100th anniversary.
Type of Structure: Public building
Construction Date: 01/01/1906
Fire Date: 10/01/1898
Structure status: Still standing building
Cause of Fire:
Arson was suspected. The building was used for storing lumber and the lumber fueled the fire.
Documentation of the fire: [Web Link]
Other: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
Give a narrative of your experience. Did you learn anything after reading about the fire in the waymark? Photos are always welcome too. Please no virtual visits.