Driving through Tacoma’s stylish Stadium district is a popular activity for out of town visitors and Tacoma residents alike, this writer included. The Stadium Seminary National Historic District was first listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and occupies the area between North I Street and the shoreline and between First Street and North Tenth Street. The district takes its name from Stadium High School, an iconic Hewitt and Hewitt designed French Renaissance structure originally built as a hotel in 1891. Construction of the hotel was halted before completion by an economic downturn in 1893. When a fire burned much of the existing structure in 1898, the city of Tacoma decided to re-purpose the building as a school. Stadium High School opened in 1906.
The Stadium district was one of the first residential neighborhoods in Tacoma and contains some outstanding examples of high end home construction from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The neighborhood still provides a window into the lives of the early lumber and railroad barons that shaped Tacoma, but it’s so much more than grand old homes. The district offers a wide variety of shops, restaurants and B&Bs while providing easy access to downtown establishments like The Grand Cinema, a non-profit independent movie house that features first run indie films and hosts the annual Tacoma Film Festival. Just up the hill from The Grand is 27-acre historic Wright Park, which was founded in 1886. Just one block north of the park is the historic Tacoma Little Theatre. Founded in 1918, this small non-profit community theater showcases local talent in dramatic productions six times a year. On the northern boundary of the Stadium district is the Tacoma Lawn and Tennis Club, which was established in 1890. One of the oldest private tennis clubs in the West, TLTC features multiple indoor and outdoor courts and a large swimming pool. Just beyond the tennis club is the Annie Wright School. Founded in 1884, Annie Wright offers day school for boys and girls through grade 8 and an all-girls day and boarding school for grades 9 through 12. Annual Stadium district neighborhood events include the Dickens Festival and the Art & Wine Walk.
Jeff Williams has owned a historic 1900 Victorian in the heart of Stadium since 2005. He is a top-producing Realtor with Windermere in Tacoma specializing in the purchase and sale of historic and luxury homes. Click here to email Jeff or give him a call at 253-303-1135.
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Driving through Tacoma’s stylish Stadium district is a popular activity for out of town visitors and Tacoma residents alike, this writer included. The Stadium Seminary National Historic District was first listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and occupies the area between North I Street and the shoreline and between First Street and North Tenth Street. The district takes its name from Stadium High School, an iconic Hewitt and Hewitt designed French Renaissance structure originally built as a hotel in 1891. Construction of the hotel was halted before completion by an economic downturn in 1893. When a fire burned much of the existing structure in 1898, the city of Tacoma decided to re-purpose the building as a school. Stadium High School opened in 1906.
