Tenino street scene looking west. This picture is after 1909 since the Columbia building can be seen in the distance, but before it was paved in 1914.
About this Tour: Tenino has long had a sandstone walking tour. The buildings that are part of the Sandstone tour are numbered and correspond to our brochure. However, there are several unnumbered buildings included on the tour that are located in the Historic District and have historic significance. Enjoy!
Introduction: Forged in Fire
Tenino Depot 1914
1. Our first stop on the tour is the Tenino Depot Museum. This was Tenino’s 3rd permanent Northern Pacific Depot, and it built in 1914 at the time of the installation of the Point Defiance Cutoff. This would take passenger service away from the old Prairie Line and put it on the tracks that still operate today.
This is the only Northern Pacific Depot made of Tenino Sandstone. The depot closed in 1961, was boarded up, and graffitied.
Burlington Northern announced its intention to demolish the Depot in 1973. The City of Tenino and concerned citizens spent the next couple of years working to move it to Tenino City Park.
In 1975, the depot was lifted in one piece and rolled to its current location with the purpose of it becoming a museum. The load weighed in at 322 tons and the city’s people turned out to watch it progress from McClellan Street to the Park.
Located at 399 Park Avenue West.
Tenino Stone Co. Quarry 1888
2. In 1888 SW Fenton and George VanTine located a deposit of building grade sandstone on this site and created the Tenino Stone Company. By the early 1900’s, the Tenino Stone company consisted of several buildings including a sawmill, planing shed, machine shops, office and stone carving buildings.
But with the rise of cheaper concrete for building material, the decline in the market for quarried stone caused the demise of the Tenino Stone company after World War I.
The local springs which had caused problems during the quarry’s active years, soon flooded the below ground cavity. Despite the “No Trespassing” signs, local kids began using the abandoned quarry, now filled with water, as a swimming hole.
In 1946, the city of Tenino, with the help of the local Lion’s Club and Chamber of Commerce, purchased the Tenino Stone Company property. Over the next few years, the Lion’s Club and other volunteers worked on improving the pool area. The Memorial Swimming Pool was dedicated on June 18th, 1950 with many celebratory events.
Located at Tenino City Park
Other fun facts:
- The city of Tenino owns and manages the Quarry Pool.
- The waterfall was added in the 1980’s
- The deep part of the Quarry Pool maxes out around 65 feet according to a topographical survey done in 2023
- Some equipment was left behind and still resides in the depths of the pool, including a steam donkey used to cut the heavy blocks of stone.
Quarry House
3. Tenino Stone Company Quarry House — circa 1900 The Tenino Stone Company wasn’t the only Sandstone Quarry Operation in town, but it was the first and its site, is the most iconic. Quarry House originally had a stone fireplace, an ornate sandstone fence in front, porch columns and a Tenino Stone Company sign. The “Tenino” portion of the sign sits in front of Tenino City Hall. After the Quarry closed the Quarry House spent many years as a private residence for the Fenton family.
The Quarry House now serves as a Community Center.
Located at 319 Park Avenue West.
Tenino Bank
(When Tenino had wooden sidewalks)
4. State Bank of Tenino Building sits prominently on the corner of Sussex and Olympia, and represents Tenino’s growing prosperity in 1906. The building is an excellent example of the carving uses of our native sandstone. The building changed hands in 1915 to become the Citizen’s Bank of Tenino. It came into its prominence in the 1930’s when the establishment closed its doors for fear of a run on the bank. The failure of this bank during the Great Depression inspired the production of an emergency scrip to keep the town going. The original legal wooden money was printed on slice-wood of spruce and cedar and immediately became nationally famous and a collector’s item. Eight issues were printed from 1932-1933 with a total of $10,308 put into circulation while only $40 was ever redeemed by the Chamber of Commerce. The wooden money was printed on the press that still prints today at the Tenino Depot Museum. In the subsequent years the Old Bank, as it is fondly called, housed a variety of businesses and suffered damage in the 1983 fire. It has since been restored.
Located at 213 Sussex Ave West
Puget Sound National Bank
5. Puget Sound National Bank — 1983 This building is sandstone rock faced in contrast to traditional methods used in 1906-21 for the commercial area. The sandstone came from the old Hercules No. 1 Quarry site and started a Sandstone renaissance in Tenino. Until that time, sandstone’s day seemed to have passed. It now houses the Obee Credit Union.
Tenino City Hall 1913 & 1922
(Pictured in the 1930’s with Mayor Tom Richards & Grace Engel center)
6. This building once served as the Hercules Stone Company office at Hercules Quarry #1. It was designed by Walter Scheel. The main offices were upstairs while the lower floor was the drafting department.
When Hercules went bankrupt, the City of Tenino purchased the building from the foreclosing bank. Walt Scheel was commissioned to move it onto Sussex. In 1921 it was dismantled and the stones numbered for proper reassembly at the new site. Walt said it was the only building he ever built twice.
Tenino City Hall is an excellent example of the uses of Tenino Sandstone both inside and out. Restored in 2022 after 100 years on Sussex Street, the structure is poised to last another 100 years.
Located at 149 Hodgden Street South
.
Campbell & Campbell
7. Campbell & Campbell — 1906 Campbell and Campbell started in 1899 by Angus Campbell and his sisters Bel and Anna. The Campbell and Campbell building was constructed after the original store burned in the fire of 1906. The building is L shaped and wraps around the Old Tenino Bank. At one time Campbell and Campbell was the largest mercantile in the county selling everything from tractors and feed to groceries and household items, to ready-to-wear clothing and other dry goods.
During WWII, when many items were in short supply the Tenino Independent had this to say: July 26, 1946. “The feminine yen for sheer leg covering was well displayed when 1,302 women lined up in front of Campbell and Campbell last Friday in quest of the elusive nylon. There were no reports of hair pulling by Marshal J. A. Johnson and Deputy Frank Kneitch who kept the crowd under control.
The crowd started forming at 7:30 with 1,985 sales, not counting stockings, made in the store Friday.”
Other eyewitnesses reported the line wrapping around the building.
Campbell and Campbell closed in 1955. McLain’s grocery moved in soon after. Roger Reeves purchased the building in 1973 from Angus Campbell to add to his upholstery and furniture shop in the neighboring Mentzer and Copping Block building. An arched pass through was added between the two buildings at that time.
Roger’s Home Furnishings and surrounding businesses suffered a devastating fire in 1983, which forever altered the interior of Campbell and Campbell.
Located at 225 Sussex Ave West
Mentzer & Copping Block
8. Mentzer & Copping Block of 1914 was built by Theodore F. Mentzer and David Copping. Mentzer & Copping were involved in the State Bank of Tenino and served in public office, Mentzer as mayor and Copping as councilman. Mentzer & Copping began taking bids for the building in July 1914.
The first businesses in the Mentzer and Copping block were the Monarch Drug Co. and the other storefront was M.B. Peterson’s Tenino Hardware & Furniture Co.
The manager listed in the 1915 city directory of the Monarch Drug Co was Angelus A. Battista along with Mike Ruggieri. The Monarch drugstore was a popular place to hang out since it also had a soda fountain and music. This location remained a drugstore until the early 1970’s when it became Roger’s Upholstery Shop and later Roger’s Home Furnishings.
The Tenino Hardware and Furniture Company eventually became L. A. McLain’s Grocery business. The Grocery storefront was remodeled in 1935 and the store lay-out modernized. In 1955 the McLain’s moved into Campbell and Campbell and became McLain’s A.G. Foods. L.A. McLain retired in 1959, Don McLain continued until 1973. The storefront became a series of restaurants, the E & D Café, Frontier and then the Wooden Nickel. Both storefronts were destroyed by fire in 1983. The east end was rebuilt while the west end is now a pocket garden.
Located at 237 Sussex Ave West
Bockhold Building
9. Bockhold Building— 1906. The Bockhold building and the Miller Block have been described in past tours as the Miller Block. But we feel the Bockhold Building deserves its own name. Originally Bockhold 1906 was inscribed at the peak of the building, but “Bockhold” was later removed leaving only 1906.
The History, as described in the Daily Olympian was that it was built by AJ Bockhold, a sawyer and teamster, who was also a landlord of a saloon lost in the 1906 fire.
The October 8th article reads, “L.J. Miller has announced that he has let the contract for a large new stone building 48×60 and work to commence tomorrow. Mr. Bockhold’s building will be of the same construction and 18 feet wide, and both will be fireproof buildings, and they will be the first stone construction in town.’
The Bockhold building did become a saloon called the Union Bar and was run by PB McCandless until about 1912. They served Columbia Beer. In 1916 the Tenino Post Office moved into the premises, and this may have been when “Bockhold” was erased from the top of the building. The Post office remained there until 1969. Since then, the location has been hair salons: one called Bob Shop in the 1970’s. A hole was put in the wall to adjoin the building to the Miller Block in the 1980’s and then later Klassy Kuts moved in.
Located at 253 Sussex Ave West
Miller Block
(Newly constructed)
10. Miller Block — 1906 While Miller Block shares a very similar history to Bockhold, it was once quite separate. Originally the block had two front entrances. The first bank to exist in Tenino was housed in the Miller Block, the State Bank of Tenino. The State Bank would soon move to its permanent iconic home on the corner of Sussex. Other businesses in the building have been a confectionary, The City Market, Golden Rule dry goods store, a hardware store and for many years it was the home of Western Auto. Then Miller Block became a mini mall with a wide variety of businesses. Many 1980’s kids have happy memories of Pizza Time which had a juke box and some arcade games, there was an antique store in the 1990’s and most recently Sandstone Café.
Located at 273 Sussex Ave West
Independent Building
(Log Tavern 1930)
11. Tenino Independent Building (Pacific Coast Building)— 1914 Before this sandstone structure came to be, this was the site of M.C. Cole’s saloon on the corner of Sussex and Howard…the only building to survive the 1906 fire. Minor Cole was a popular citizen of Tenino but he tragically gunned down the town doctor, CE Robson, and then committed suicide in 1914. It was shortly after this that his saloon was moved and construction began by the Pacific Coast Investment Company on a new sandstone building. This building would have 3 store fronts, the eastern most would become a movie theater and remained so until films were widened and the building was too narrow to show them. This location is now the VFW and a barber shop.
The corner storefront was once the Tenino Bar, the Log Tavern, and by the 1940’s a dry goods store with ready to wear fashion. This is one of the few sandstone buildings to have some alterations of its sandstone ornamentation which took place with modernizing 1955 flair.
It wasn’t until 1972 that the Tenino Independent Newspaper moved into this location and gave it the name that many know it by.
Located at 287 & 291 Sussex Ave West
Columbia Building
(Lee’s Place 1909)
12. Columbia Building — 1909 It all began in the small hours of June 23-24, 1908 when a fire destroyed the west end of Sussex in Tenino, Washington. Ten buildings were destroyed. According to the Morning Olympian June 24, 1908 the fire started in the Eagle Saloon building that was located on the north west corner across the street from the Columbia Building’s location.
This was the second major fire to strike Sussex in three years, and consequently spurred a second construction boom in the downtown area.
The Columbia Building was built by the Columbia Brewery Co. in 1909 for a saloon and a storefront. The first occupant was Lee’s Place (a saloon) and was over the years The Quarry Bar, Anderson’s and Landmark Tavern. The first occupant of the storefront was Castle Brother’s Hardware and Furniture. Other businesses have been Gorline’s, Palace Café, Pickett’s 10 cent Store, Tenino Variety, Miscellany Store, Tenino Hobbies and Toys, Earth Artisans and a piano shop.
Located at 313 & 325 Sussex Ave West
Mandery-Martin Building
(1929 Labor Day Parade)
Built in 1925 this building is now known as the Eagles as it was purchased by The Eagles in 1947. Though it is not constructed of Sandstone it is worth mentioning as a historic site. Before it was the eagles it had three store fronts.
The Eagles were renting when their facility was burned in the 1908 fire. It was rebuilt on the North East corner of Sussex and Howard. That wooden structure was in later years better known as McArthur’s Grocery Store. Upstairs was the Fraternal Order of Eagles and next door was the Eagles Café.
When the Eagles moved into the Mandery-Martin building, it was home of the Thurston County Independent on the west end, and the City Bakery on the east end. The Eagles moved into the middle section which became the Lodge room. (At one point in its history this middle building was a bowling alley). The Eagles up to that point had rented for 44 years, this would be their first-time owning property.
Located at 349 Sussex Ave West
Russell House
(Shown in the 1930’s)
13. Russell House — 1892 built by Thomas Russell of the Tenino Stone Co. Russell was born in Scotland and came west in the 1890s to take over a majority share in the Tenino quarry when one of his former employees (who helped found the operation in 1889) ran out of money.
When he originally built his house the year he moved to Tenino, it was a simple, wooden two-bedroom building, very similar to the modest houses of that age. In 1911 sandstone became a featured element of the house when Thomas built an addition to the west side. A pair of sandstone fireplaces, one rough faced and one smooth faced, also adorn the house and were built by Andrew Wilson.
Russell helped bring the quarry back to success in the 1890s, after it had seen some dark days due to competition from a neighboring operation. The Russell family descendants sold the house in 1986 and it has seen little alteration.
Located at 447 Sussex Ave East
Russell Building
(Note the old Bandstand next door)
14. The Russell Building was built by the Russell family around 1910. Myriads of businesses have been in the Russel Building over the years including a men’s clothing store, The People’s Store, the headquarters of the Pacific Powder Co. who produced 10-9-0 Suds at this location. It has also been home to the Southwest Plumbing Company, a birdhouse maker, a gift shop and a salon. ~There are a few historic businesses in this section of the tour that deserve to be mentioned. Dr. Wichman’s Office 1904. First is the little tin house next to the Russell building. This house was once Dr. Wichman’s office. He was a signer of Tenino Wooden Money and is also known for delivering about 2000 Tenino babies. He was a true country doctor. He has many home movies about Tenino that can be viewed at the Tenino Depot Museum. After the Doctor retired
Located at 372 Sussex Ave West
Dr. Wichman’s Office 1904
There are a few historic businesses in this section of the tour that deserve to be mentioned. First is the little tin house next to the Russell Building. This house was once Dr. Wichman’s (Wick-man) office. He was a signer of Tenino Wooden Money and is also known for delivering about 2000 Tenino babies. He was a true country doctor. He filmed many home movies about Tenino that can be viewed at the Tenino Depot Museum. After the Doctor retired in 1947 this building became Stella’s Beauty Shop, owned by Stella Reeves, before it became a private residence.
Located at 360 Sussex Ave West
Tenino Café 1925
This building was originally brick-faced and had two storefronts. The small westernmost storefront housed the Telephone Company. The Larger storefront was the long-time Tenino Café. There was a time that you could get a warm meal there for 25 cents.
Located at 318 & 324 Sussex Ave West
Jiffy Lunch Café 1923
(Pictured in the 1930’s)
This building has altered much over the years. It was originally of concrete construction with brick-facing. The Corner building was once the Jiffy Lunch Café which ran 24/7 for many years. There was a stop for Greyhound busses out front. This was a lunch counter type of restaurant where you could sit and watch your food being prepared. Right next door was a drugstore. It was the store that the Hedden’s purchased when they first came to Tenino before they moved to their current location in 1955. Later the two storefronts were combined in a major remodel. The building was wrapped in wood, and it then became Ferdinands, then Grubsteak, then Taqueria Tres and now Los Compadres.
Located at 312 Sussex Ave West
Skaggs Building 1925
(Log Tavern 1970’s)
272 SE Sussex. Built in 1925, many Tenino Residents will remember this site as the home of the Log Tavern. It is a one-story concrete building with a brick façade, constructed by the Dawley Brothers, and commissioned by T.F. Mentzer. It was originally leased by Skaggs Stores and was a Safeway before becoming the Log Tavern in 1944. In recent years it has housed antique stores.
Located at 272 Sussex Ave West
Masonic Lodge 1921
15. The Masonic Lodge building was built in 1921. Mason Lodge No. 86 was organized in 1892. A previous Masonic Temple sat in this same location and was lost in the fire of 1917 along with a landmark 3-story old west hotel called the Phoenix, Francis, and lastly the Central Hotel throughout its lifetime from 1892-1917. The building between these two structures which housed more hotel and Gene Fryou’s barber shop is where the fire originated. TF Mentzer owned the hotel and the barbershop building. The Sandstone Masonic Lodge was built in 1921 and has remained a masonic lodge all these years. The building’s exterior has seen no alteration. The stained-glass transoms and Masonic emblem are original, and in the interior, it still has original maple flooring and specially built benches. It is believed that it was designed by Wes Fenton of the Tenino Stone Company who was an active Mason.
Located at 260 Sussex Ave West
Trading Post (Henderson & Davis Garage) 1924
Following the fire of 1917, this brick structure on a poured concrete foundation was built in 1920 by T.F. Mentzer. By 1924 Sandstone construction was becoming prohibitively expensive and the quarries were winding down. The building started life as the Henderson and Davis Garage which was a Chevrolet Dealership. The westernmost store front had a garage bay opening to access the service section of the premises. The brick basket-weave pattern has been painted. The building has housed a Western Auto annex, and an auto body shop. Mentzer’s heirs sold the building in 1999. In later years it was Marianne’s gift shop, Creative Minds, and an Antique Store.
At one time there was a gas pump out in front. In fact, Tenino had many gas stations. These features were from Tenino’s era on the interstate Pacific Highway (now Old Highway 99). One might think of the Pacific Highway as the route 66 of the West Coast until the installation of I-5 bypassed places like Tenino.
Located at 248 Sussex Ave West
Wolf Building 1908
(Newly constructed)
16. The Wolf Building — was Built by Tumwater-based Olympia Brewing Company in 1908. Brick was used for the front and sandstone was utilized for the side and rear walls. The Brewery operated a saloon in the easternmost storefront on the corner of Sussex and Olympia. This storefront had a recessed entry, which has since been closed in by concrete blocks. It was Tenino Feed Store, a realtor and other small businesses. The middle storefront started as a Jewelers, and a barbershop, and was by 1935 Puget Sound Power and Light, while the western most storefront was a barbershop. These two storefronts are now home to the Ironworks.
Located at 308 & 224 Sussex Ave West
Tenino’s Sandstone Monuments & Art
Meeker Marker
Ezra Meeker in 1906
The Tenino Meeker Marker was placed by Ezra Meeker in 1906 during his journey to retrace the Oregon Trail from Puyallup to Washington DC. Meeker noted many locations that deserved a trail marker along the way, however, Tenino was not only his first stop but was also the only marker to be placed during his journey. Some markers were not installed until recent years. The goal of Meeker’s journey was so that the trail would not not be forgotten.
The years on marker have led to debate. Why did Meeker chose 1845-53? The Oregon Trail (Cowlitz Branch) continued through Tenino until the railway arrived in 1872.
The trail opened in 1845 with the Simmons Party expedition to what is now the Tumwater area.
As for the end date of 1853, that is when Washington became a Territory. 1845-1853 could be the years the trail was established rather than the start and end. Or 1853 was personal. Ezra Meeker made his way onto the Cowlitz Branch and scouted north in 1853.
Located at the intersection of Sussex and Sheridan Street.