Pythian Temple (Tacoma, Washington)

United States historic place

Pythian Temple

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Pythian Temple, February 6, 2008

Location| 924-9261⁄2 Broadway, Tacoma, Washington
Coordinates| 47°15′17″N 122°26′23″W﻿ / ﻿47.25472°N 122.43972°W﻿ / 47.25472; -122.43972
Area| less than one acre
Built| 1906
Architect| Frederick Heath (architect); Cowan & Black
Architectural style| Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Second Renaissance Revival
NRHP reference No.| 85001811[1]
Added to NRHP| August 23, 1985

The Pythian Temple, built in 1906 for Commencement Lodge Number 7 of the Knights of Pythias, is an historic building located on Broadway in the Theater District of Tacoma, Washington. It was designed by noted Tacoma architect Frederick Heath.

Like many multistory urban fraternal buildings built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, its lower floors were rented out for retail and office spaces while the upper floors were reserved for lodge use. This pattern of usage continues into the 21st century for this building, although Commencement Lodge plans to renovate the building to permit the rental of its hall for cultural events.[2]

On August 23, 1985, Pythian Temple was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[1]

The building was featured in the summer 2008 newsletter of the Marian Dean Ross Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians. The group reported that the Pythian order remains active and is working to preserve its 1906 building and has received grants for work on the Knights of Pythias Castle Hall. "This two-story hall, completely hidden within the building's interior, is a rich confection of early 20th Century woodwork, plaster, lighting, murals and carpeting."[3]

For a short period in the mid-1990s, the Pythian Temple hosted a local theater company, and its ornate auditorium was the setting for productions of such plays as Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead, Inherit the Wind, 12 Angry Men, and Talk Radio.[citation needed]

In addition to the Knights of Pythias, the building houses the Tacoma Youth Theater and Seabury Middle School.

*   * Interior of Castle Hall, Pythian Temple, Tacoma

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. ^ Waymarking listing for Pythian Temple
3. ^ summer 2008 newsletter Archived 2009-08-07 at the Wayback Machine Society of Architectural Historians, Marian Dean Ross Pacific Northwest Chapter page 2

## External links[edit]

* The Melon Online: Journey to the Center of Tacoma Pythian Temple

* v
* t
* e

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Topics|

* Architectural style categories
* Contributing property
* Historic district
* History of the National Register of Historic Places
* Keeper of the Register
* National Park Service
* Property types

Lists by state|

* List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state:
* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming

Lists by insular areas|

* American Samoa
* Guam
* Minor Outlying Islands
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Puerto Rico
* Virgin Islands

Lists by associated state|

* Federated States of Micronesia
* Marshall Islands
* Palau

Other areas|

* District of Columbia
* American Legation, Morocco

Related|

* National Historic Preservation Act
* Historic Preservation Fund
* List of jails and prisons on the National Register of Historic Places
* University and college buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places

* National Register of Historic Places portal
* Category

This article about a property in Washington on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[No.]: number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template