Historic Districts
Washington - Grays Harbor County
Grays Harbor County Washington has 23 places on the National Register of Historic Places including 3 places of National significance and 6 places of Statewide significance. Significant places include Chow Chow Bridge, Hoquiam Olympic Stadium, SIERRA (motor ship), Chehalis River Bridge and Grays Harbor Light Station.

Several famous people are associated with these Grays Harbor County historic places including Henry McCleary and Charles W. Hodgdon.

Some of the country's most noteable architects helped create the Grays Harbor County places including G.F. Matthews, George H. Hitchings, WPA, Frank Milward, Strauss bascule Bridge Co., Erickson, C.S., builder, Arthur Loveless, Huntington & Torbitt, F.D. Sheffield and C.W. Leick. Prominent architectural styles found in Grays Harbor Country are Bungalow/Craftsman, Classical Revival and Colonial Revival.

Carnegie Library (added 1982 - - #82004216)
Also known as Haquiam Timberland Library
621 K St. , Hoquiam
Jmabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Claude & Stark
Architectural Style:
Prairie School
Area of Significance:
Education, Social History, Architecture
Period of Significance:
1900-1924
Owner:
Local
Historic Function:
Education
Historic Sub-function:
Library
Current Function:
Education
Current Sub-function:
Library
More Information:
Chehalis River Bridge (added 2002 - - #02000243)
Also known as Bridge Number 101/115
WA 101 over Chehalis , Aberdeen
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Historic Significance:
Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
MacRae Brother, Manson Construction and Engineering
Area of Significance:
Engineering, Transportation
Period of Significance:
1950-1974
Owner:
State
Historic Function:
Transportation
Historic Sub-function:
Road-Related
Current Function:
Transportation
Current Sub-function:
Road-Related
Chow Chow Bridge (added 1988 - - #82004218)
Spans Quinault River , Taholah
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Historic Significance:
Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Milward,Frank
Architectural Style:
Other
Area of Significance:
Engineering, Transportation
Period of Significance:
1950-1974
Owner:
Private
Historic Function:
Transportation
Historic Sub-function:
Road-Related
Current Function:
Transportation
Current Sub-function:
Road-Related
Constructed in 1952 by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Chow Chow Bridge is a historically significant timber suspension bridge spanning the Quinault River on the Quinault Indian Reservation in Grays Harbor County, Washington. Designed to facilitate logging access to the rich timberlands on the north side of the river, the bridge represents a remarkable feat of mid-century rural engineering. It featured impressive wooden A-frame towers constructed from native Douglas fir logs, which supported steel suspension cables holding a suspended timber deck. By utilizing a suspension design, the builders avoided placing piers in the volatile, flood-prone Quinault River, showcasing an innovative and economical solution to the region's challenging geography.

The Chow Chow Bridge is historically significant under National Register Criterion C as an outstanding and increasingly rare example of a timber-pylon suspension bridge in the Pacific Northwest. It reflects the post-World War II timber boom in western Washington and the critical role of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in developing infrastructure to manage and harvest natural resources on tribal lands. As one of the most distinctive wooden suspension bridges of its era, it stood as a monument to the region's dominant logging heritage and the specialized civil engineering techniques developed to conquer the rugged, rain-drenched landscape of the Olympic Peninsula.
Cooney, Neil, Mansion (added 1983 - - #83003324)
Also known as Spruce Cottage
802 E. 5th St. , Cosmopolis
Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Architecture/Engineering, Event
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Rhodes,Edwin
Architectural Style:
Bungalow/Craftsman, Colonial Revival
Area of Significance:
Architecture, Commerce
Period of Significance:
1900-1924
Owner:
Private
Historic Function:
Domestic
Historic Sub-function:
Single Dwelling
Current Function:
Domestic
Current Sub-function:
Single Dwelling
More Information:
Finch Building (added 2000 - - #83004230)
Heron and H Sts. , Aberdeen
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Historic Significance:
Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Ferro Concrete Construction Co., Gould,A. Warren
Architectural Style:
No Style Listed
Area of Significance:
Engineering, Architecture
Period of Significance:
1900-1924
Owner:
Private
Historic Function:
Commerce/Trade
Historic Sub-function:
Professional
Current Function:
Vacant/Not In Use
Grays Harbor Light Station (added 1977 - - #77001333)
Also known as Westport Lighthouse, Grays Harbor Lighthouse
1020 W. Ocean Ave. , Westport
Eastmain, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Erickson, C.S., builder, Leick,C.W.
Architectural Style:
Italianate
Area of Significance:
Transportation, Architecture, Military
Period of Significance:
1925-1949, 1900-1924, 1875-1899
Owner:
Private
Historic Function:
Transportation
Historic Sub-function:
Water-Related
Current Function:
Recreation And Culture, Transportation
Current Sub-function:
Museum, Water-Related
More Information:
Hodgdon, Judge Charles W., House (added 2005 - - #05000365)
717 Bluff , Hoquiam
Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Person, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Gilbert, C.F.
Architectural Style:
Bungalow/Craftsman
Historic Person:
Hodgdon, Charles W.
Significant Year:
1907
Area of Significance:
Architecture, Law
Period of Significance:
1925-1949, 1900-1924
Owner:
Private
Historic Function:
Domestic
Historic Sub-function:
Single Dwelling
Current Function:
Domestic
Current Sub-function:
Single Dwelling
More Information:
Hoquiam Olympic Stadium (added 2006 - - #06000731)
2811 Cherry St. , Hoquiam
Jmabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
WPA
Architectural Style:
No Style Listed
Area of Significance:
Architecture, Politics/Government, Entertainment/Recreation
Period of Significance:
1950-1974, 1925-1949
Owner:
Local
Historic Function:
Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function:
Sport Facility
Current Function:
Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function:
Sport Facility
More Information:
Constructed in 1932, the Hoquiam Olympic Stadium is nationally significant as one of the largest, most structurally intact, and grandest examples of an all-wooden athletic stadium remaining in the United States. Designed by prominent regional architect Edwin J. Bresemann, the stadium is a monumental tribute to the Pacific Northwest's timber industry, built entirely of locally sourced, old-growth Douglas fir. The imposing structure features a massive, fully enclosed grandstand with a distinctive shingled exterior and an open-timber truss roof system that showcases extraordinary historic carpentry. Its construction is a direct reflection of Grays Harbor's identity as a premier lumber-producing region, utilizing the very materials and craftsmanship that defined the local economy.

Beyond its architectural distinction, the stadium holds immense historical value as a monumental Depression-era public works project. Built during the depths of the Great Depression, the stadium's construction was funded through a combination of local municipal bonds and early state emergency relief funds, providing vital employment to hundreds of out-of-work local loggers, carpenters, and millworkers. Since its dedication, the stadium has served as the recreational and civic heart of the Grays Harbor region, hosting professional and semi-professional baseball teams-including the Hoquiam Loggers-as well as high school athletics, community festivals, and civic events. It stands today as a resilient symbol of community pride, perseverance, and the enduring legacy of the Washington timber frontier.
Hoquiam River Bridge (added 1982 - - #82004217)
N of SR 12 , Hoquiam
Martin H., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Puget Sound Bridge & Dredging Co., Strauss bascule Bridge Co.
Architectural Style:
Other
Area of Significance:
Transportation, Engineering
Period of Significance:
1925-1949
Owner:
State
Historic Function:
Transportation
Historic Sub-function:
Road-Related
Current Function:
Transportation
Current Sub-function:
Road-Related
More Information:
Hoquiam's Castle (added 1973 - - #73001868)
Also known as Robert Lytle Mansion
515 Chenault Ave. , Hoquiam
Jmabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Unknown
Architectural Style:
Romanesque, Other
Area of Significance:
Architecture, Social History
Period of Significance:
1875-1899
Owner:
Private
Historic Function:
Domestic
Historic Sub-function:
Single Dwelling
Current Function:
Domestic
Current Sub-function:
Single Dwelling
More Information:
Kestner Homestead (added 2007 - - #07000741)
Also known as Kestner Homestead Site, Kestner-Higley Homestead
Quinalt River Valley, .5 mi. N of Quinalt River Ranger Station, along west side of Kestner Creek, Quinalt sub-distr , Port Angeles
Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Event
Area of Significance:
Exploration/Settlement
Period of Significance:
1925-1949, 1900-1924, 1875-1899
Owner:
Federal
Historic Function:
Domestic
Historic Sub-function:
Secondary Structure, Single Dwelling
Current Function:
Vacant/Not In Use
More Information:
Lake Quinault Lodge (added 1998 - - #98000846)
Also known as CR-18-80a
South Shore Rd. , Lake Quinault
Historic Significance:
Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Reamer, Robert Chambers
Architectural Style:
Colonial Revival, Other
Area of Significance:
Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation
Period of Significance:
1925-1949
Owner:
Private
Historic Function:
Domestic, Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function:
Hotel, Outdoor Recreation
Current Function:
Domestic, Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function:
Hotel, Outdoor Recreation
More Information:
Lytle, Joseph, Home (added 1990 - - #90001073)
509 Chenault , Hoquiam
Jmabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Unknown
Architectural Style:
Queen Anne
Area of Significance:
Architecture
Period of Significance:
1900-1924
Owner:
Private
Historic Function:
Domestic
Historic Sub-function:
Single Dwelling
Current Function:
Domestic
Current Sub-function:
Single Dwelling
More Information:
Masonic Temple--Hoquiam (added 2007 - - #07000934)
510 8th St. , Hoquiam
Jmabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Sutton & Whitney, et.al.
Architectural Style:
Beaux Arts
Area of Significance:
Social History, Architecture
Period of Significance:
1950-1974, 1925-1949, 1900-1924
Owner:
Private
Historic Function:
Social
Historic Sub-function:
Meeting Hall
Current Function:
Social
Current Sub-function:
Meeting Hall
More Information:
McCleary Hotel, Old (added 1996 - - #96000842)
Also known as Hotel McCleary
42 Summit Rd. , McCleary
Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Architecture/Engineering, Person, Event
Architectural Style:
Bungalow/Craftsman
Historic Person:
McCleary,Henry
Area of Significance:
Industry, Architecture
Period of Significance:
1925-1949, 1900-1924
Owner:
Private
Historic Function:
Domestic
Historic Sub-function:
Hotel, Multiple Dwelling
Current Function:
Domestic
Current Sub-function:
Hotel
More Information:
McTaggert, Lachlin, House (added 1985 - - #85001942)
2240 L St. , Hoquiam
MickeyTh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
McTaggert,Lachlin
Architectural Style:
Other
Area of Significance:
Architecture
Period of Significance:
1900-1924
Owner:
Private
Historic Function:
Domestic
Historic Sub-function:
Single Dwelling
Current Function:
Domestic
Current Sub-function:
Single Dwelling
More Information:
Mickelson, Ole, Cabin (added 1993 - - #92001291)
Lot 46, S shore Lake Quinault, between Willaby Cr. and Falls Cr. , Quinault
Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Mickelson,Ole
Architectural Style:
Other
Area of Significance:
Architecture
Period of Significance:
1925-1949
Owner:
Federal, Private
Historic Function:
Domestic
Historic Sub-function:
Single Dwelling
Current Function:
Domestic
Current Sub-function:
Single Dwelling
More Information:
Polson, F. Arnold, House and Polson, Alex, Grounds (added 1979 - - #79002533)
Also known as Polson Park and Museum
1611 Riverside Ave. , Hoquiam
Jmabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Brunstad,Ben, Loveless,Arthur
Architectural Style:
Classical Revival
Area of Significance:
Architecture
Period of Significance:
1900-1924
Owner:
Local
Historic Function:
Domestic
Historic Sub-function:
Single Dwelling
Current Function:
Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function:
Museum
More Information:
SIERRA (motor ship) (added 1978 - - #78002745)
1401 Sargent Blvd. , Aberdeen
Ipoellet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Event
Area of Significance:
Commerce, Transportation
Period of Significance:
1900-1924
Owner:
Private
Historic Function:
Transportation
Historic Sub-function:
Water-Related
Current Function:
Work In Progress
More Information:
Built in 1917 by the Matthews Shipbuilding Company in Hoquiam, Washington, the motor ship Sierra represents a premier example of the wooden-hulled motor vessels that dominated the Pacific Coast lumber trade during the early twentieth century. Constructed during the World War I shipping boom, the Sierra was uniquely equipped with twin Bolinder semi-diesel engines rather than traditional steam power, marking a significant technological transition in maritime propulsion. With its massive wooden hull constructed from dense local Douglas fir, the vessel exemplified the peak of Pacific Northwest wooden shipbuilding craftsmanship, designed specifically to carry heavy cargo through the treacherous waters of the Pacific shipping lanes.

For decades, the Sierra served as an essential workhorse for the regional timber industry, transporting millions of board feet of lumber from the bustling mills of Grays Harbor-then the self-proclaimed lumber capital of the world-to rapidly growing markets along the California coast. Its career illustrated the vital economic pipeline that fueled the West Coast's urban expansion. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, the Sierra is historically significant as one of the last surviving representatives of the wooden motor vessels that defined the maritime heritage, industrial prowess, and labor history of the Grays Harbor region.
Seventh Street Theater (added 1987 - - #87001334)
313 Seventh St. , Hoquiam
Jmabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Huntington & Torbitt, Griffin,Edwin St. John
Architectural Style:
Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Renaissance
Area of Significance:
Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture
Period of Significance:
1925-1949
Owner:
Private
Historic Function:
Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function:
Theater
Current Function:
Recreation And Culture, Work In Progress
Current Sub-function:
Theater
More Information:
US Post Office--Hoquiam Main (added 1991 - - #91000645)
620 Eighth St. , Hoquiam
Jmabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Wetmore,James A.
Architectural Style:
Classical Revival, Art Deco
Area of Significance:
Politics/Government, Architecture
Period of Significance:
1925-1949
Owner:
Federal
Historic Function:
Government
Historic Sub-function:
Post Office
Current Function:
Government
Current Sub-function:
Post Office
More Information:
US Post Office--Montesano Main (added 1991 - - #91000649)
211 Pioneer Ave. N. , Montesano
Jmabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic Significance:
Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Simon,Louis A.
Architectural Style:
Other, Moderne
Area of Significance:
Politics/Government, Architecture
Period of Significance:
1925-1949
Owner:
Federal
Historic Function:
Government
Historic Sub-function:
Post Office
Current Function:
Government
Current Sub-function:
Post Office
More Information:
Wishkah River Bridge (added 1990 - - #82004215)
W. Wishkah Rd. , Greenwood
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Historic Significance:
Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer:
Sheffield,F.D.
Architectural Style:
Other
Area of Significance:
Transportation, Engineering
Period of Significance:
1900-1924
Owner:
Local
Historic Function:
Transportation
Historic Sub-function:
Road-Related
Current Function:
Transportation
Current Sub-function:
Road-Related
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