Tag Archives: Silas Nelsen

Artist & Craftsman Supply Tacoma

The Artist & Craftsman Supply Store at 612 St. Helens in the Antique Row area of Tacoma opened in November 2016. Dear husband and I finally made our way down there and really we were very impressed. Dear husband has been in many an art supply store, but he declared this to be the best stocked that he has ever seen. We picked up some Easter basket stuffers, a book, some paint and some photo-transfer sheets. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable and I’m positive we’ll be back.

Artists & Craftsman is an employee owned company with  many stores, mostly along the country’s coasts. There is a website for the company. The Tacoma Artist & Craftsman store has a Facebook Page with information on upcoming events and sales. Educators receive a 10% discount.

The building, constructed in 1928, was originally the Wagner Motors Building with Silas E. Nelsen as the architect. It was the dealership for Studebaker – Erskine. It continued to have an automobile orientation until 1949 when it became a carpet distributor. I remember it being the Mandarin Antiques Store. Artist and Craftsman occupies most of the lower level of the building.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Update one week later. It finally stopped raining for a few minutes and I got a photo of the outside of the building.

 

Libraries are always good — Mottet Library

Today I stopped at the Charlotte White Mottet Library, one of the 10 libraries that make up the Tacoma Public Library System. The library was built in 1930, a gift to the city from Mr. Mottet, a local businessman. The architect for the building was Silas E. Nelsen, who also designed the McCormick Branch Library, the Everell S. Collins Memorial Library at the University of Puget Sound, the Tacoma Mausoleum, the Johnson Candy Co. Building and the Tacoma City Light Administration Building.

Library Hours:
Tuesday & Wednesday 12 – 8
Thursday – Saturday 10 – 6

3523 East G Street Tacoma, WA 98404 (253) 591-5666

For more information on this property, including some older photos, go to http://search.tacomapubliclibrary.org/buildings/bldg1up.asp?n=15057

Note that Mottet Branch is one of the libraries that could potentially be eliminated depending on the budget option recommended by the library trustees.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/11/06/1412177/board-weighs-closing-library-branches.html