Built in 1907, the Willamette Building has long been a cornerstone of Tacoma’s industrial and creative history. Designed by prominent architect Frederick Heath and constructed by the Cornell Brothers, the six-level building opened in early 1908 as the home of the Willamette Casket Company. At the time, it was celebrated as one of the finest buildings in the Northwest—and the largest factory west of St. Louis. More than 100 employees worked here crafting caskets from start to finish, complete with an on-site showroom where families could select a final resting place for loved ones.
When the Willamette Casket Company closed in 1916, the building seamlessly transitioned into its next era as the Gregory Furniture Manufacturing Co. Led by Edwin Gregory, the factory once again buzzed with activity as 105 employees transformed rough lumber into finely made furniture. Local newspapers praised the company’s commitment to in-house craftsmanship, noting that everything produced was made entirely on site—a point of pride that reflected Tacoma’s growing reputation as a manufacturing hub.
In 1945, the building entered another important chapter when it became home to F. S. Harmon Manufacturing Co., a well-established and respected Tacoma business originally founded in 1888. The company employed generations of workers producing upholstered furniture, draperies, and related goods. Over the decades, the Willamette Building also welcomed a variety of businesses, including White Star Van & Storage and local furniture retailers, continuing its tradition as a place of hard work, ingenuity, and commerce.
In 2024, the Willamette Building was selected by the City of Tacoma Landmarks Preservation Commission to receive the 2024 Outstanding Achievement Award in Historic Preservation for the Sustainability category.
Today, the Willamette Building’s story comes full circle—once again alive with creativity and production—through its exciting transformation by Horizon Partners NW into a Makerspace. What was once a factory floor is now a collaborative home for makers, builders, artists, and innovators, honoring more than a century of craftsmanship while inspiring the next generation to create something new.