701 North J Street (1901)

Architect Ambrose Russell designed this shingle style house in 1901 for Henry and Birdella Rhodes. In 1907, Frederick Heath designed the three-story addition on the north side. Henry Rhodes came to Tacoma in 1890 with his two brothers Charles and Albert and opened a tea and coffee shop, which eventually grew into Rhodes Brothers Department store, Washington’s first, and for several decades largest, department store. Henry Rhodes also founded and headed the Rainier National Park Corporation that built Paradise Lodge as well as the roads and infrastructure still in use at the park. Rhodes was also involved in many large building projects such as the Winthrop Hotel and the Tacoma Municipal Building. The house is listed on the National Register, the Washington Heritage Register and the Tacoma Register of Historic Places.

The architects Spalding, Russell & Heath designed this shingle style house in 1901 for Henry Rhodes. In 1907, Frederick Heath designed the three-story addition on the north side. Rhodes came to Tacoma in 1890 with his two brothers Charles and Albert and opened a tea and coffee shop, which eventually grew into Rhodes Brothers Department store, Washington’s first, and for several decades largest, department store. Rhodes also organized and headed the Rainier National Park Corporation that built Paradise Lodge as well as the roads and infrastructure still in use at the park. Later Rhodes was involved in many large building projects such as the Winthrop Hotel and the Medical Arts Building.¹

Courtesy of Tacoma Historical Society:

"The post-Victorian mansion built for Henry and Birdella Rhodes in 1901 was designed by Tacoma architects A.J. Russell and Frederick Heath. In 1907, Frederick Heath designed the large east wing. The eclectic house combined both Shingle and Prairie styles, features rare to Tacoma architecture.

"Henry and his family arrived in Tacoma in 1892, when he and his brother William established a tea and coffee store. Another brother, Albert, joined the partnership in 1893. In 1900 the brothers opened a dry goods store. From these small beginnings came the Rhodes Brothers Department Store, a longtime feature in downtown Tacoma. To solidify the partnership, Albert built a Russell-designed post-Victorian house to the north of Henry's at 702 North I Street.

"Following the success of this business venture, Henry organized the Rhodes Investment Company which specialized in major construction projects in Tacoma, including a complete block of houses on the west side of Union Avenue between North 25th and 26th Streets. He also encouraged downtown revitalization into the 1920s through the construction of the Winthrop Hotel and the Medical Arts (Tacoma Municipal) building.

"Also in the 1920s, Henry and Birdella moved from this home to their English Tudor villa on Steilacoom Lake. At that time their daughter Vera, who married Audsley Fraser in the J Street house in 1912, moved in. Birdella Rhodes died in August of 1943. Henry died in 1954 at the age of 91, but not before writing an autobiography entitled Memoirs of a Merchant.

"The current owners of the Rhodes home and others have made many beautiful additions to the house .... Other owners have been Dr. Leo and Mrs. Hunt (1932-1966) and Greg A. and Dusty Trail who restored the house (1974-1975)."²

HISTORICAL NOTE: North 7th Street does not continue to the northeast towards Commencement Bay because this location marks what was once the upper reach of Garfield Gulch that begins next to Annie Wright, where you can still see it. Bridges crossed the Gulch at North I and North K Streets as late as 1898 until it was eventually filled in.

1. A Walking Tour of the North Slope Historic District. Tacoma, WA. Historic Tacoma Press, 2008.
2. Historic Homes of Tacoma Tour 2006. Tacoma, WA. Tacoma Historical Society, 2006.