Historic Tacoma Builds Sustainability Effort

This story arrived as a press release a few days ago. Last week a block near Tacoma’s St. Joseph Hospital was being cleared for a surface parking lot. This work included demolishing a Hilltop 1916 bungalow. While architectural reuse is an easy option for folks in some cities, the industry is still relatively small in Tacoma. Historic Tacoma would have liked to save the entire house by moving it, but since this was not an option, they salvaged parts of the house by removing interior doors, trim, cabinets, and lighting hardware.

This project is part of Historic Tacoma’s efforts to encourage deconstruction to decrease landfill waste and re-use sustainable building materials. The combination of increasing wood prices and a greater awareness of recycling opportunities makes it practical to salvage old growth timber featured in many older homes.

If you would like to view or purchase parts salvaged from this and other houses, visit
Metropolitan Development Council’s ReHarvest Center
1113 St. Paul Ave.
For more information, call 253-531-5845.

If you know of a historic structure slated for demolition, contact <txp:dtj_obfuscated_email email="info@historictacoma.net" />.