Washington State Capitol Conservatory

The Washington State Capitol Conservatory is a greenhouse on the grounds of the Washington State Capitol in Olympia, Washington. It was funded $25,000 in 1938, designed by architect Joseph Wohleb, and built in 1939 as a Works Project Administration project.[2] In the 1990s it was noted the greenhouse was suffering foundation damage from soil settling of up to 65-foot (20 m) deep fill on which it was built.[3] A 1995 report indicated that there was fear of a landslide causing catastrophe to the building, built next to a steep ravine where "a number of springs and wet areas were observed" (Olympia is noted for both its rainy climate and its artesian springs).[3] Heritage Park's hillside trail climbs from Capitol Lake to a landing containing the Law Enforcement Memorial, adjacent to the conservatory.[4] Due to safety concerns stemming from the settling, the conservatory was closed in 2008.[5] For a time it was used to store the Chief Shelton Story Pole (totem pole) after it was taken down in 2010.[6] Until its closure it was open to the public and was an attraction for visitors to the State Capitol.[7][8]

Washington State Capitol Conservatory
Conservatory in semi-abandoned state, 2019
Former namesWashington State Capitol Greenhouse
General information
TypeGreenhouse
LocationWashington State Capitol campus
Address1115 Water Street
Town or cityOlympia, Washington
CountryUnited States
Coordinates47.0377°N 122.9037°W / 47.0377; -122.9037
Construction started1938
Opened1939
Renovated1976
Closed2008
Cost$25,000
OwnerState of Washington Department of Enterprise Services
Technical details
Floor count2
Floor area11,300 sq ft (1,050 m2) incl. basement shops
Design and construction
ArchitectJoseph Wohleb
References
Some building structural data from State of Washington DES[1]

Capitol gardens

The gardens and grounds at the Capitol campus were filled with plants grown in the conservatory. Over 70,000 flowers and plants each year were grown there in the 1950s.[2]

  • Sunken garden outside the conservatory (looking south towards Insurance Building and State Capitol)
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References
  1. Capitol Conservatory building factsheet (PDF), State of Washington Department of Enterprise Services
  2. Jennifer Crooks (October 22, 2017), "Changing Seasons: A History of the State Capitol Campus Conservatory", Thurston Talk
  3. Stephen P. Palmer and Wendy J. Gerstel (January 19, 1995), CAPITOL CAMPUS GREENHOUSE SOIL STABILITY INVESTIGATION STATUS REPORT (PDF), Washington Department of Natural Resources Geology and Earth Resources DivisionCS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  4. Capitol campus map (PDF), Washington State Legislature
  5. HISTORIC CAPITOL CAMPUS CONSERVATORY CLOSES SEPT. 5 (press release), Washington State Department of General Administration, September 3, 2008, archived from the original on February 23, 2018 – via HighBeam (subscription required)
  6. Lynda V. Mapes (April 27, 2011), "The next chapter for old story pole yet to be written.", The Seattle Times, archived from the original on February 23, 2018 – via HighBeam (subscription required)
  7. Leson & Irving 1996, p. 354.
  8. Don Jenkins (January 9, 2005), "Capitol dome reopens; campus open to public", The Columbian, Vancouver, Washington, archived from the original on February 23, 2018 – via HighBeam (subscription required)

Sources


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