Address: 539 Broadway
Construction date: 1889-90
Architects:
Whidden & Lewis
Architectural/Historic Significance:
The two and one half story wood frame Colonial Revival building features a hip roof with gable dormers and pilasters flanking two story round bays at both ends of the front facade. The Ionic capital motif of the pilasters is repeated on smaller pilasters between the windows on the second story. The flat roof porch extends to the edges of the bay and is supported by pairs of Ionic columns. The single flat roof on the side is an alteration.
The Union Club was founded in 1888 by twenty-seven of Tacoma's founding fathers. The club was designed to entertain visiting dignitaries as well as to have a place for special social celebrations for Tacoma's elite. One of the many dignitaries entertained here was William Taft. The Clubhouse was built two years later. In 1939, the Union Club and the University Club merged because of lagging memberships with both organizations. The property was sold to club member David Smith in 1985 who opened the Palm Room, later named David’s on Broadway.
The neighborhood constitutes the early government, finance and business center of the original Tacoma town site, and the buildings are representative of activity in this area between the early 1800s and 1920s. During this period, the Cascade Division of the Northern Pacific Railroad was completed (1887) and the development of Tacoma as that railroad’s terminus began. By 1918, other railroad companies had developed their facilities in Tacoma and the Port District had been formed thus providing opportunities for further activity, change and expansion in the central business district. The buildings were constructed to meet the social and cultural needs of Tacoma’s citizens as well as to establish the economic base necessary for a city’s growth.
Status:
The property was listed on the Tacoma Register of Historic Places by unanimous approval of City Council on July 21, 2009. The nomination was submitted by Historic Tacoma with the support and research efforts of neighborhood residents. Though the property is now protected, it remains on the market. The property is listed by Aleta Benedicto of Williams Properties, 521 N. Yakima Ave., 253-627-3566. MLS# 27162809
Updated 12/18/09
