T. G. Richards and Company Store
Encyclopedia
The T.G. Richards and Company Store, also known as Whatcom County Courthouse and James B. Steadman Post No. 24 , is the first and oldest brick building in the state of Washington, USA, and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
.
) as being in charge of the construction. It was initially used as a storehouse of the T. G. Richards Company, supplying those stopping in what was then the town of Whatcom, Washington Territory
, on their way to the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush
. The building was constructed of brick manufactured in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, which was shipped from there, south around the tip of South America to San Francisco. In 1863, the building was sold to Whatcom County for the price of US$2,000, to be used as the (third) County Courthouse for Whatcom County. Court matters such as trials were handled in Port Townsend
, not Whatcom. However, the building has become known as the "Territorial Courthouse", because of its role as the county courthouse in the days before statehood. In addition, the building served as the jail, and in 1873, became the home of the Bellingham Bay Mail newspaper. By 1877, a pharmacy was being run on the first floor.
Originally being bounded by the tide flats of the bay, in 1874 a breakwater was added in to protect the building's foundation from the sea. In 1883, a vault, and five additional jail cells were added. In 1889 the building was deemed unsafe for use, and the county government offices and jail were moved to temporary quarters nearby. (In 1891 the county moved into the new courthouse on "G" Street, constructed of Chuckanut sandstone.) In 1890-1891, the Women's Relief Corps (WRC), an organization benefiting veterans of the American Civil War
, began to rent the building. By 1906, Whatcom County had deeded the building into the private sector, when it was sold to members of the Grand Army of the Republic
, J. B. Steadman Post No. 24, and the WRC. The building has since seen the tide flats filled in, resulting in the rise of E Street, so that the first floor has become the basement, and the second floor becoming the ground floor. Later occupants include the members of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, a Jehovah's Witness Church, Aker's Taxidermy, The Northwest Passage
(a 60s - 70s alternative newspaper), Base Camp, and lastly, a home to different artists and pottery makers. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, and is currently undergoing renovation.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
This two story brick building was built in 1858 by the partnership of Thomas G. Richards and his brother Charles E. Richards, for a cost of US $8,000. A note in one of Howard Buswell's files, located in the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, identifies John Alexander (a prominent settler on Whidbey IslandWhidbey Island
Whidbey Island is one of nine islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is located about north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington...
) as being in charge of the construction. It was initially used as a storehouse of the T. G. Richards Company, supplying those stopping in what was then the town of Whatcom, Washington Territory
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
, on their way to the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush
Fraser Canyon Gold Rush
The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, began in 1858 after gold was discovered on the Thompson River in British Columbia at its confluence with the Nicoamen River. This was a few miles upstream from the Thompson's confluence with the Fraser River at present-day Lytton...
. The building was constructed of brick manufactured in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, which was shipped from there, south around the tip of South America to San Francisco. In 1863, the building was sold to Whatcom County for the price of US$2,000, to be used as the (third) County Courthouse for Whatcom County. Court matters such as trials were handled in Port Townsend
Port Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend is a city in Jefferson County, Washington, United States, approximately north-northwest of Seattle . The population was 9,113 at the 2010 census an increase of 9.3% over the 2000 census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County...
, not Whatcom. However, the building has become known as the "Territorial Courthouse", because of its role as the county courthouse in the days before statehood. In addition, the building served as the jail, and in 1873, became the home of the Bellingham Bay Mail newspaper. By 1877, a pharmacy was being run on the first floor.
Originally being bounded by the tide flats of the bay, in 1874 a breakwater was added in to protect the building's foundation from the sea. In 1883, a vault, and five additional jail cells were added. In 1889 the building was deemed unsafe for use, and the county government offices and jail were moved to temporary quarters nearby. (In 1891 the county moved into the new courthouse on "G" Street, constructed of Chuckanut sandstone.) In 1890-1891, the Women's Relief Corps (WRC), an organization benefiting veterans of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, began to rent the building. By 1906, Whatcom County had deeded the building into the private sector, when it was sold to members of the Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
, J. B. Steadman Post No. 24, and the WRC. The building has since seen the tide flats filled in, resulting in the rise of E Street, so that the first floor has become the basement, and the second floor becoming the ground floor. Later occupants include the members of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, a Jehovah's Witness Church, Aker's Taxidermy, The Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage (newspaper)
The Northwest Passage was a bi-weekly underground newspaper in Bellingham, Washington, which was published from March 17, 1969 to June 1986. The paper was co-founded by three men: Frank Kathman, who took the role of Publisher; Laurence Kee, as Managing Editor; and Michael Carlson , as Art Director...
(a 60s - 70s alternative newspaper), Base Camp, and lastly, a home to different artists and pottery makers. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, and is currently undergoing renovation.