A New Brick Landmark for Walla Walla
Columbia Lodge members approve plans for a $10,000 brick building, signaling a shift away from the city's older, wooden business architecture.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Columbia Lodge, No. 8, K. of P., at Saturday night's meeting ratified the plans for a two-story brick building at the corner of Fourth and Rose streets, and trustees were authorized to advertise immediately for bids for the work. The new structure will have a frontage of 60 feet on Fourth street and a depth of 60 feet. The estimated cost is $10,000. Other property owners in that vicinity are well pleased at the decision of the lodge, as it is believed the erection of a building of this character means the entering wedge for the disappearance of the numerous small wooden buildings in that part of Walla Walla's business section.
“It is believed the erection of a building of this character means the entering wedge for the disappearance of the numerous small wooden buildings.”
This 1903 shift toward permanent brick masonry mirrors the ongoing density and 'infill' debates in Walla Walla today, as modern developers replace aging, small-scale structures with multi-story buildings to modernize the downtown core.
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