1402 North 5th Street (1903)

Proctor & Farrell designed this 1903 Four-Square for Ernest Lister, future eighth governor of Washington. In 1884, at age 14, Lister immigrated with his family from England. His uncle and father operated a local iron foundry where Ernest worked. At the time this house was built, Lister and his brother had formed the Lister Lumber Company and a real estate company.

Proctor & Farrell designed this 1903 Four-Square for Ernest Lister, future eightn governor of Washington. In 1884, at age 14, Lister immigrated with his family from England. His uncle and father operated a local iron foundry where Ernest worked. At the time this house was built, Lister and his brother had formed the Lister Lumber Company and a real estate company. Lister was elected governor in 1913 as the first Democrat to hold the office in more than 12 years. He was re-elected in 1917 but during 1919 he suffered a heart attack and died in office at age 48. During Lister’s tenure, Boeing began making airplanes, surveys were completed for the Grand Coulee Dam, and a bridge was built across the Columbia at Vancouver. Tacoma was at the height of its political power at this time: Overton Ellis, Chief Justice, lived at 613 North K Street; Guy Kelly, the Speaker, lived at 924 North L Street, and Louis F. Hart, Lt. Governor (Governor upon Lister’s death) lived at 617 North Oaks Street.

A Walking Tour of the North Slope Historic District. Tacoma, WA. Historic Tacoma Press, 2008.