The Downtown Waterville Historic District encompasses all of one block of Locust Street plus the west end of a second block and a few buildings along North and South Chelan Avenue. In all there are 17 contributing and 2 non contributing buildings in the district. All buildings are of brick, save for the Centennial Feed Building, a single storey wood framed building on the west side of North Chelan. The brick for the district was manufactured locally in brick yards, first established in 1889. The oldest structure in the district, on the northeast corner of Locust Street and Chelan Avenue, is the First National Bank/Kincaid/IOOF Block, constructed in 1891.
Further construction in the district was delayed for a decade, at which time several brick buildings were erected simultaneously, the Fair Store among them. This building stands on the south side of Locust Street, immediately west of the Waterville State Bank building, on the corner of Locust and Chelan Avenue. The brickwork on the building exactly matches that of the building to the west, with which it shares a wall, making the two appear as a single building.
Today the Fair Store Building is home to Elite Woodworking & General Contracting.
The Fair Store
Building #3: The Fair Store Building
Address: 102 West Locust Street
Classification: Contributing
Date of Construction: 1902-03
Description: This well preserved one-story brick structure, which shares a brick party wall with the adjacent buildings, was constructed in 1902. The building measures 30 feet wide and 107 feet deep. The street facade is composed of a large storefront bay with a central recessed entry. The storefront is framed by brick piers and is surmounted by a paneled brick frieze and corbelled brick cornice. The storefront retains the original iron lintels and columns as well as the original plate glass display windows and kick plates. The contractor was C.W. Moon, who built the Waterville Hotel and the adjoining blocks at the same time.
History: Contemporary with its neighbors on either side, the Fair Store was built in 1902 and completed in 1903. The property was owned by R.E. Steiner, who tailored the building to meet the needs of William Dunn's dry goods and clothing business. The shop was outfitted with a gallery, special store shelving, and other modern conveniences. The Fair Store remained in that location for many years; a machine shop was located in the basement. Both Steiner and Dunn served in city government at various times during the historic period.
From the NRHP Registration Form![]()