Washington State Capitol Conservatory

Greenhouse in Washington, United States

Washington State Capitol Conservatory

Conservatory in semi-abandoned state, 2019

Former names| Washington State Capitol Greenhouse
General information
Type| Greenhouse
Location| Washington State Capitol campus
Address| 1115 Water Street
Town or city| Olympia, Washington
Country| United States
Coordinates| 47°02′16″N 122°54′13″W﻿ / ﻿47.0377°N 122.9037°W﻿ / 47.0377; -122.9037
Construction started| 1938
Opened| 1939
Renovated| 1976
Closed| 2008
Cost| $25,000
Owner| State of Washington Department of Enterprise Services
Technical details
Floor count| 2
Floor area| 11,300 sq ft (1,050 m2) incl. basement shops
Design and construction
Architect(s)| Joseph Wohleb
References
Some building structural data from State of Washington DES[1]

The Washington State Capitol Conservatory was 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] and the building was demolished between 2020 and 2021.[6] For a time it was used to store the Chief Shelton Story Pole (totem pole) after it was taken down in 2010.[7] Until its closure it was open to the public and was an attraction for visitors to the State Capitol.[8][9]

## Capitol gardens

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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)

## References

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1. ^ Capitol Conservatory building factsheet (PDF), State of Washington Department of Enterprise Services
2. ^ a b Jennifer Crooks (October 22, 2017), "Changing Seasons: A History of the State Capitol Campus Conservatory", Thurston Talk
3. ^ a b Stephen P. Palmer; Wendy J. Gerstel (January 19, 1995), Capitol Campus Greenhouse Soil Stability Investigation Status Report (PDF), Washington Department of Natural Resources Geology and Earth Resources Division
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
6. ^ "Capitol Conservatory". Department of Enterprise Services. 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
7. ^ 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
8. ^ Leson & Irving 1996, p. 354.
9. ^ 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

### Sources

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* Leson, Nancy; Irving, Stephanie (1996). Seattle Best Places: The Most Discriminating Guide to Seattle's Restaurants, Shops, Hotels, Nightlife, Arts, Sights, and Outings. Best Places Guidebooks. Sasquatch Books. ISBN 978-1-57061-055-4. Retrieved 2018-02-22.

## External links

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* Media related to Washington State Capitol Conservatory at Wikimedia Commons