The 717 Building is located at 717 Tacoma Avenue and was constructed in 1918 and was renovated in 2005. It is leased as office space. It was originally constucted as a mortuary and in 2005 when it was occupied as the Tacoma-Pierce County Family Justice Center it was placed on the Tacoma Registry of Historic Places. The Crystal Judson Family Justice Center is located in the building and was named in honor of Crystal Judson who was killed by her husband, Police Chief David Brame on April 26 2003.
We hadn’t lived in Tacoma all too long before we discovered Mrs. Frisby’s Bakery at 710 South 38th Street in the Lincoln District. We would go there every so often. I was fond of their moist, delicious brand muffins and my husband like their bear claws. When our daughter was little we would take her to watch the ladies decorating cakes. The bakery had been around since 1930 and closed in 2000. The space was vacant for a long time, but is now occupied by Thinh Xuan Ho, M.D.
The Tacoma Public Library has a photo of the bakery from 1956 here:
Saturday evening I joined the World Wide Photo Walk by joining a group walking around the History Museum in Tacoma. We walked from the museum, across the Bridge of Glass and down to the waterfront. Afterward the group of us went out to eat at Abellas at 1946 Pacific Avenue. Abella’s menu can be found here: http://www.allmenus.com/wa/tacoma/45349-abella-pizzeria/info/
The website for the world wide photo walk can be found here http://worldwidephotowalk.com/
And one last photo taken on 5/2/14
I had it in my head to look for a place that is allegedly haunted for my new place. So I googled Tacoma and Haunted and found the former site of the Children’s Industrial Home (an orphanage). The orphanage which had been on the site was constructed 1904 at a cost of $7,500. The building looked like a mansion and held up to thirty children. It was called the “Home on the Hill”.
In September of 1944 the furnace and the boiler in the building’s basement exploded and thankfully none of the children were seriously hurt, though two of the adults were injured. A TPL photo of the damage can be found here.
And another photo of the original building and some of the darling children can be found here.
The insurance company declared the building a complete loss and it was torn down. A new facility was constructed on the site later. The youthful occupants of the current site complain about hearing crying at one end of the “new” building and adult staff members have reported seeing ghosts of children playing around the building.
More history of the facility can be found here.
Respecting the privacy of the current facility, I snapped a photo of a lone tree towards the top of the hill away from the buildings.
The Mandolin Cafe at 3923 South 12th Street near the intersection of South 12th & Proctor provides an occasional respite for us. It doesn’t have an extensive menu, but what it has is delicious. They do have a large selection of teas, quality coffee and wines. What keeps me keeping coming back to the Mandolin is the atmosphere, comfortable, warm, art filled and often eclectic live music.
http://www.themandolincafe.com/
Sadly the Mandolin Cafe closed in July 2012. It wasn’t because of their business, but instead a problem with the lease. I’m hopeful they will reopen in a new location at some point.
I was driving home looking for something just a little bit interesting to use as my new place of the day when the afternoon light hit Bucky’s and really made the yellow color light up. This Bucky’s is located at 6318 6th Avenue, Tacoma, WA.
Monday was Bookclub night and I found myself with not enough time to eat dinner (back planning on my part), but still wanting a little something. So I stopped at the 7-11 at 10649 108th Avenue Southwest, Lakewood, WA. It looked like all of the other 7-11s I had ever been in and I thought it was slightly more interesting to take the photo through my car window.
Fireboat #1 is one of five fireboats in the country to be a historic landmark. The boat, which is now dry docked along Ruston Way was constructed in 1929 and had served for 54 years.
Information from the Tacoma Park’s Department can be found here: http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=66
The detailed historic nomination form can be found here: http://www.nps.gov/maritime/nhl/fireboat.htm
For years now dear daughter and I try to visit Connell’s Dahlia Farm (10616 Waller Road E. Tacoma, WA 98446. Phone: 253-531
http://www.dahliasbylesandviv.com/
The Pacific Grill, located at 1502 Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma, has a splendid happy hour which extends fro 11:30 – 10 Monday through Thursday, 11:30 – 11 on Friday and 5 – 11 on Saturday. Besides the normal drink specials, most of the food on the bar menu is half price and delightful food it is! An appetizer handily makes a meal.
http://www.pacificgrilltacoma.com/
The restaurant occupies the lower level of the 1890 Waddell Building which was substantially renovated and incorporated into new Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in 2004. The building is listed on the historic register. A photo of the building as it appeared in 1979, prior to renovation, can be found here: