Winthrop Hotel, Old City Hall Historic District - Tacoma, Washington
Posted by: 
Hikenutty
N 47° 15.332 W 122° 26.397
10T E 542374 N 5233713
The Winthrop Hotel was built in 1925, at a time when the city was experiencing economic growth. It was named for explorer Theodore Winthrop, who is credited with first calling Mt. Rainier “Mt. Tacoma," a version of the native name, Mt. Tahoma.
Waymark Code: WM26RH
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 09/13/2007
Views: 42
The following excerpt is from the Website Historylink.org, a Website focusing on the history of Washington state:
Winthrop Hotel, South 9th Street at South Broadway: Built in 1925, the Winthrop replaced the headquarters that the Chamber of Commerce built after trading Old City Hall to the municipal government. It is named for early explorer Theodore Winthrop, who is credited with first referring to Mt. Rainier as “Mt. Tacoma.” Formal redesignation of the mountain was a local cause celebre for many decades, but Vancouver’s name stuck. The Winthrop was remodeled for senior housing in the 1970s as one of Tacoma’s first urban renewal projects.
A few years ago the Winthrop was purchased by developers with the plan of turning it into a four star hotel again. The building is now quite dingy and it is felt that the lag in re-development is hurting the revitalization efforts for the theater district. The structure, standing several stories above any of the neighboring buildings, is somewhat of a gateway to the district and its renovation would definitely help the feel of the somewhat seedy area.