History of TACOMA SELF STORAGE

historic photo of builing in 1934 when it was Tacoma Cold Storage

CIRCA 1934

historic photo of man working an ice making machine

Rehabilitation & Adaptation: Robert L. Boggess, Inc. of Seattle, Architects ~ Bob Boggess, principal

The story of Tacoma is one of ships and
railroads. Timber from Puget Sound was
already leaving Tacoma's docks when The
Great Northern Railway arrived in 1873.
With the completion of the transcontinental
link, the Atlantic was joined to Puget Sound
and the Pacific beyond. As a rail-head and
deep water port, Tacoma would grow into a
significant center for shipping and industry.

In 1926 the Tacoma Ice Company built its cold storage plant on this historic railroad right-of-way. Through
50 years of good times and bad the building served the community. Ice was delivered out through its freight
doors and food stuffs were received across its loading docks. By 1979 industry had left downtown Tacoma.
The breweries had closed, home refrigeration had replaced cold storage and railroading had moved to the
Port of Tacoma. The Tacoma Ice Co. building was shuttered and empty.

In the 1990s Tacoma's Landmarks Commission designated the building as historically significant. The
interior, constructed entirely of heavy timber beams and wood planking, was badly deteriorated; however,
the concrete and brick exterior was little changed from the time it was built.

In 2004 the property sold and reconstruction began. With care the concrete shell was shored up on its
exterior and the wooden interior was demolished. Inside a steel and concrete floor system rose to replace
the wood. Instead of cold storage the use of the property was adapted to self storage. So, as a new century
brings life back to downtown Tacoma, this historic structure has been revitalized to serve Tacoma once again.