Hastings Building

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

H Harlow A. Hastings, a central figure in Columbia City’s early development, built this one-story brick commercial block in 1905 as a speculative investment. He served terms as town attorney and mayor prior to Columbia City’s annexation in 1907. In 1918 Hastings made the biggest real estate deal in years selling the valuable corner property for a record $16,000 (about $275,000 in 2020 dollars.) These two storefronts contained numerous businesses over the years. The northern entrance was occupied by Columbia Drug Store (prior to 1916), Columbia Station Post Office, Nutting and Helleckson Grocery, and Rainier Floor Covering (1950s). The southern storefront contained Green’s Dry Goods Store (1911), Goebel’s Cash Grocery (1918), Redwood Grocery (1922) and Betty Swehla’s popular diner (1950s). Tradewell Market occupied the entire building in the 1930s. Pagliacci Pizza remodeled the building and opened in 2016.

Images

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

This building was built by and named after H. Harlow A. Hastings in 1905. He was an attorney from seattle from 1890 and eventually would serve as mayor and town attorney before 1907 when Columbia City was annexed by Seattle. The building has been home to many different stores since its construction. On the north storefront was the Columbia Drug Store operated by W. J. Studly before 1916. A post office, 3 groceries, and a dry goods store all operated at one time or another before the 1930s. Tradewell Market would operate in the entire building in the 1930s, and in the 1950s a diner was operated inside one of the storefronts.

Cite This Entry

Elliot Day on behalf of Rainier Valley Historical Society. "Hastings Building." Clio: Your Guide to History. September 20, 2020. Accessed March 14, 2025. https://theclio.com/entry/114120