SURELY GOODNESS

Olympia Press Building: Bringing the space alive!

Posted

Talk about good feedback. Todd Monohon, Olympic Rental & Landlord Services, 115 State Ave NE, has won two awards in two months.

The first from the Thurston Chamber as 2024 Boss of the Year and the second from the Olympia Historical Society & Bigelow House Museum (OHS & BHM) for the society’s Gerry L. Alexander Award for Outstanding Achievement in Heritage, 2024. The latter is for his rehabilitation, restoration and upcycling, of the Olympia Press Building in the Downtown Olympia Historic District.

“It turned out even better than I imagined,” he commented.

He is especially pleased with the Grand Lobby, which has served well for many community events. He is happy to “bring the space alive.”

OHS & BHM President of the Board Greg Griffith, stated, “Todd's rehab of the 1930 Press Building and print shop includes a slick adaptive reuse of the 1922 Martin warehouse into a bright, modern workspace. What is remarkable about this project is how it speaks about Todd as a person: going the extra mile to do the right thing, a commitment to excellence, a commitment to giving back to the community, and a passion for preserving heritage. And, it's fun! Who would not want to work here?"

Olympia Press Building bought

According to OHS & BHM, in 1910, a Sanborn Map shows a newspaper building at the southeast corner of State Avenue and Capitol Way. The newspaper occupied this site for many years.

In 1930, the Olympia Press Building, (aka Olympian Building), was erected. While the Olympian worked out of the building for 30-plus years, it no longer has a physical presence, the (orange) Press Building remains one of the more distinctive and important downtown commercial structures. Locals may remember that it later housed Capitol City Press, which is now in Tumwater.

“I was looking for office space and found, what was then a derelict building, which hadn’t sold. I offered a goofy price.  That’s how it happened," Monohon said.

Of course, the restoration cost money!

The current building is a combo of two, the James Martin Warehouse and the Mission Revival-style Press Building (aka Old Olympian Newspaper Building).

The structure contributes to the Olympia Downtown Historic District’s listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Luckily for Olympia, Todd recognized the treasure of its history and potential with its stucco, arches, glazed tile inserts and a clay tile roof.

“It was a perfect combination,” he said. “I had been project manager for new construction on some of the larger church projects we did, so this became a church, essentially.”

Wohleb's prolific work

The building was designed by Architect Joseph Wohleb and, per Todd, one of six similar buildings by Wohleb around town, each with different trusses.

 In a career of nearly 50 years, Wohleb was prolific and best known for the Mission Revival “look” of downtown Olympia. At 4th and Washington, three of four corners feature his designs.

Dubbed “the man who designed the city,” he designed more than 100 houses, shops, factories, schools and government buildings in Olympia. That’s in addition to those in the greater Washington State.  

From Sequim to Kelso, you can see the work of this California native who moved to Olympia at age 23.  To list a few of his other local buildings: Jeffers Photographic Studio (his first), Lord Mansion (former State Capital Museum), McCleary Mansion, National Guard Armory, Thurston County Courthouse and Olympia Knitting Mills.

Though known for Mission Revival, Wohleb designed in a wide range of styles. Wohleb has been termed the most prolific architect in Washington State.

Thomas Architecture Studios

Todd partnered with Thomas Architecture Studios for more than 9,000 of the 27,000 square feet of the interior space, including, in part, his office suite (entrance on State Street) and the Grand Lobby.

From the Thomas website:  "Our client wanted a space that could be used for small and large gatherings … a new space where the warmth and rich textures of the historic materials would be complemented by new construction with a simple palette of glass, white sculptural display walls, black metal railings and structural steel, and unfinished timber framing."

Tenants

In addition to his own office space, Olympic Landlord and Rental Services, his tenants in the Press Building include: Atlantis Media Group, Custom Your Way Home Design, Jones Built, Last Earth Distro, Legends Arcade & Legends Bar, Olympia Downtown Alliance, Olympia Hair Company, Olympic Maintenance Division, The Owls Nest Café and Bakery, Garrett Lafferty, Managing Broker, John L. Scott, and Wire Zoo.

FYI, Elizabeth Berrien, of Wire Zoo, is a world-renowned wire sculptor, renting studio space, open by appointment only.  Her innovative work, large and small, helped launch wire sculpture as a dynamic art form, with clients as diverse as Disney World, National Park Service, Motorola, a restaurant in Dubai, and local businesses and residents.

Hope for the future

Despite challenges in improving the downtown environment, such as a lack of infrastructure and support, Todd remains hopeful. He has, with success, encouraged others to do similar work and to make investments in downtown.

“We have a long way to go to get over the tipping point. We need a downtown that is safe and clean for people to work and play," he said.

He mentioned about the need to deal with issues like substance abuse and mental health problems that can lead to homelessness. 

“I still have the idealism that this can be done," he said.

Heritage Awards

The annual Gerry L. Alexander Award for Outstanding Achievement in Heritage is named after the former Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court.

This year, OHS & BHM will, at their Annual Awards Ceremony & Membership Meeting, honor seven award recipients on Jan. 25 at the St. John/San Juan Episcopal Church Parrish Hall in Olympia.

Shirley Stirling, of Lacey, writes about good things people in Thurston County are doing. If you'd like to nominate someone to be profiled, contact her at shirley@theJOLTnews.com or comment below.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here