Downtown Centralia

Walk through the stories that shaped our city.

Explore the buildings, people, and moments preserved along Downtown Centralia’s Historic Walk. Move south to north through the district and discover the landmarks, businesses, and community stories that continue to shape Centralia today.

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Downtown Centralia PastPort

History lives in the places around us.

A guide to our historic buildings and their rich history.

A self-guided journey through the stories, architecture, and places that helped shape our downtown.

As you explore, you’ll uncover the rich history woven into the buildings and streets of historic Centralia. From longtime landmarks and hidden gems to the people and industries that built this community, each location offers a unique glimpse into the past while reminding us how history continues to influence downtown today.

Whether you’re a lifelong resident, a first-time visitor, or simply someone who loves local history, we hope this experience inspires you to slow down, look a little closer, and connect with the stories around you.

Thank you for exploring and supporting historic Downtown Centralia.

Historic Properties

Explore the walk.

Properties are arranged south to north. Select any card to open the complete history.

Built 1920 Sears and Roswell Feed Store Built around 1920, the Sears and Roswell Feed Store reflects the practical side of downtown Centralia's history. While many nearby buildings are remembered as hotels, theaters, banks, or fraternal halls, this structure served the agricultural economy that surrounded the city. Centralia was not only a…

Built 1920 Elks Building Built in 1920 and occupied by the Centralia Elks beginning in 1920, the building now known as Centralia Square reflects a period when civic and fraternal organizations helped shape the city's public life. Designed by Joseph H. Wohleb, the Mission Revival building offered lodge rooms,…

Built 1937 U.S. Post Office Built in 1937, Centralia's U.S. Post Office represents one of the city's most important New Deal-era civic investments. Designed by Louis A. Simon, Supervising Architect of the U.S

Built 1909 Centralia Library In 1909, The Ladies of the Roundtable initiated a push for a library in Centralia, obtaining a $15,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie and land for the library from the City of Centrali

Built 1930 Fox Theatre When the Fox Theatre opened in 1930, its glowing marquee transformed Tower Avenue into one of Centralia's most vibrant gathering places. Crowds filled the sidewalks as families, couples, and moviegoers arrived beneath the theatre's bright lights, eager to experience the newest era of entertainment. Designed…

Built 1892 Field-Robinson & Caldwell Buildings The buildings at 107 and 109 N. Tower Avenue stand among Centralia's earliest brick commercial buildings. Dating to 1892, they represent the first wave of permanent downtown con...

Built 1902 Grand Theater Built in 1902 by Lawrence Bar, the Grand Theater building began as a Victorian commercial block tied to one of Centralia's influential early merchants. Before it became associated with entertainment, Lawrence Bar and his son operated a clothing and shoe store in the building, placing…

Built 1908 Olympic Club Saloon Opening along Tower Avenue in 1908, the Olympic Club Saloon became part of the lively working landscape of early Centralia. Railroad workers, loggers, travelers, businessmen, and locals gathered there in a city shaped by timber, rail, and constant movement. After a fire damaged the block,…

Built c. 1920 Stahl Building Constructed around 1920, the Stahl Building belongs to the period when Tower Avenue had become a dense and confident commercial corridor. Its two-story Classical Revival form, red

Built c. 1888 Dumon Building Constructed around 1888, the Dumon Building is one of the oldest surviving commercial buildings in downtown Centralia. Its story reaches back to the city's earliest years, when per

Built c. 1920 Centralia Depot Turn the corner from Main Street onto Railroad Avenue in Centralia, and instantly time is turned back to the beginning of the twentieth century. The 1890’s were a boom period for C

Built 1912 Landers Building Built in 1912, the Landers Building reflects Centralia's early 20th-century confidence as Tower Avenue became the city's commercial spine. Designed for active street-level business

Built 1910 Howell Hotel Built in 1910, the Howell Hotel reflects Centralia's early downtown growth, when lodging, dining, and commerce often shared the same building. With the Howell Hotel operating upsta

Built 1927 Proffitt Building Built in 1927, the Proffitt Building stands as a landmark of Centralia’s commercial history. Founded in 1907 by Samuel Lehman “Lee” Proffitt, Proffitt’s Department Store grew from

Built 1923 Masonic Temple Dedicated in 1923, the Centralia Masonic Temple reflects the importance of fraternal organizations in shaping early 20th-century civic life. Designed by Vancouver architect Dennis

Built 1927 Lewis and Clark Hotel When the Lewis and Clark Hotel opened in 1927, it announced Centralia's ambition in brick, steel, and height. Designed by Robert Reamer, best known for Yellowstone's Old Faithful I

Built 1907 Union Loan and Trust Building Built in 1907, the Union Loan and Trust Building was one of Centralia's most ambitious early commercial landmarks. Constructed for about $75,000, it housed one of the city's leadin

Built 1913 Farmers and Merchants Bank Built in 1913, the Farmers and Merchants Bank / Yeager Building is one of North Tower Avenue's most refined historic landmarks. Designed in the Beaux-Arts style by architect Deacon

Built 1914 Wilson Hotel Built in 1914, the Wilson Hotel rose during Centralia's Hub City years, when rail lines, timber camps, coal fields, farms, and regional trade brought a steady flow of people into d

Built 1921 City Hall Designed by Pacific Northwest architect Joseph Wohleb and constructed in 1921, this two-story, two part commercial black with Mission Revival styling is concrete construction with

Built c. 1920 The Golden Rule Store Long before Tower Avenue became Centralia’s main artery, this ground belonged to George Washington—a man born into the shadow of slavery who walked 25 miles to protect the land he

Built 1928 Shanghai Cafe Founded in 1928 by Chinese immigrant Kan Chinn, Shanghai Cafe represents a cultural thread in Centralia's downtown story that is rooted in food, family, entrepreneurship, and conti

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