The "Then" photo was taken circa 1912. Note the business J. A. Noble at the time the photo was taken.
J.A. Noble was a clothier who specialized in men's clothing. Noble was a hard worker who arrived in Newport without capital eight years previous and worked his way from store clerk to the owner of the largest and most respected clothing outlet in Newport.
The Bobier Building was built one year after Newport became the Pend Oreille County seat in 1911 and was built specifically to house such as a retail outlet on the ground floor with offices on the upper floor. The front, including doors, was plate glass, while the interior finish was coast fir, and the show window floors were quarter-sawed oak and black walnut.
Upstairs, its first tenants were Drs. Wallace and Dodge and an attorney named Ryan. As up to date as any building in the town, at the time, the offices had every convenience, including hot and cold water and steam heat.
Today the ground floor is home to a Coldwell Banker real estate outlet, while the upstairs remains offices.