Bigelow Neighborhood, Historic district in east Olympia, United States.
The Bigelow Neighborhood is a historic district in east Olympia containing residential houses that span from the 1850s through the 1930s, located along Olympia Avenue between East Bay Drive and Tullis Street. The homes display varying architectural styles and construction methods from their different periods of development.
Daniel Bigelow claimed this area in 1851 with a 160-acre land grant and built one of Washington's earliest frame houses, which shaped the district's initial settlement. The structure remained significant throughout subsequent decades as the neighborhood expanded and developed around it.
The neighborhood displays decorated front porches on its homes that reflect how early settlers organized their living spaces and social gatherings. These architectural choices show the everyday values and community patterns of Olympia's founders and residents from that era.
The district is best explored on foot, with most houses visible from the street and easily accessible for a walking tour. The Bigelow House Museum at 918 Glass Avenue serves as the main information point about the neighborhood's history and architecture.
An artesian well sits within Bigelow Springs Park on the grounds of the original Bigelow family orchard. This feature preserves a reminder of the land's past as cultivated property before the neighborhood took shape.
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