The house was built by financier Alfred Coolidge, who founded banks in Spokane and Whitman counties, as well as being a director in an investment firm and a mining company. In 1924 the house was purchased by Henry Rising, long-time editor of the Spokane Chronicle, as well as president of the Chronicle's parent company.
Designed by Spokane architect John K. Dow, the house stands in an area specifically set aside for the area's well to do - the bankers, attorneys, doctors, merchants and entrepreneurs of Spokane. Built in the Craftsman style, it is in an excellent state of preservation both inside and out, having undergone a minimum of change through its history. The house stands on a large double lot surrounded by mature trees and plantings. Of note are the marble lions which guard the entrance,
one on each side of the front steps and nearly surrounded by rhododendrons.
Coolidge-Rising House
The Coolidge-Rising house is a Craftsman-style residence located on a double lot on Spokane’s lower South Hill. The house is characterized by the restrained structural features associated with the Craftsman style. The overhanging eaves of the roof are open with exposed decorative rafter tails. The house is historically significant for its associations with two leaders in the commercial development of the region during the early twentieth century. Financier Alfred Coolidge, who built the house, was a founder, president, and director of banks in both Spokane and Whitman counties, as well as an officer in an investment firm and a mining company. Henry Rising, who purchased the home in 1924, was the long-time editor of The Chronicle and president of the parent publishing company. As a prominent banker and journalist-publisher, the two men played influential roles in the development of the Inland Empire, and the well-preserved Craftsman style house reflects the status of the men and their achievements.
From Historic Spokane