Olympia, WA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

The Olympia Heritage Register is the City of Olympia's local historic designation. Under OMC § 18.12.080, any building, structure, object, site or district can be designated if it has significant character, interest or value as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the City, state or nation. It must be at least fifty years old, or of lesser age with exceptional importance, and must possess at least two elements of integrity of location, design, setting, materials and artisanship. It must be well-maintained, and it must fall into at least one of twelve categories, labeled A through L. Those range from association with significant events (A) and distinctive architecture (B) to the work of a designer, builder or architect (C), the City's cultural, social, economic or political history (D), significant persons (E), archaeological information (F), religious, relocated, birthplace, cemetery, reconstructed and folk-architecture properties (G through L).

The process is in OMC § 18.12.085. Any person, including a Heritage Commission member, can nominate a property, and the owner is notified. A public hearing notice is mailed, posted on the site and published in a newspaper of general circulation in Olympia not less than ten days before the hearing. The Heritage Commission applies the 18.12.080 criteria and lists the property when it finds the criteria met and has the owner's consent. Without consent, the Commission can recommend that the City Council approve designation, with the owner given at least ten days notice before Council review. The owner can appeal a Commission designation in writing to the City Council within thirty days, and Council decisions go to Thurston County Superior Court. A historic district also needs signatures from the owners of a majority of the properties within it.

Once listed, OMC § 18.12.090 requires review by the Heritage Commission, the Heritage Review Committee or Joint Design Review before anyone constructs, alters, restores, remodels, repairs or demolishes the property. Ordinary repair and maintenance, including painting, and emergency repair are excluded. The Preservation Officer can approve minor work that does not involve substantial alterations, additions or removals.