Riverside Historic District
Imagine a newcomer to Spokane stepping off a train in 1928 and turning east onto Riverside Ave. at Monroe St. and taking in the panoply of buildings that rival the storied cities of Los Angeles or Chicago. Then it was called the “civic center”, and today is the Riverside Avenue Historic District.
Section:Then & Now
Image One
Photo Archive
| The Spokesman-Review
Image Two
Jesse Tinsley
| The Spokesman-Review
Imagine a newcomer to Spokane stepping off a train in 1928 and turning east onto Riverside Ave. at Monroe St. and taking in the panoply of buildings that rival the storied cities of Los Angeles or Chicago. Then it was called the “civic center”, and today is the Riverside Avenue Historic District. When Spokane burst from the ashes of the 1889 fire, a cadre of talented and creative architects, such as Herman Preusse, Kirtland Cutter and John K. Dow, rebuilt the city’s banks, hotels and department stores. After the turn of the century, churches, fraternal organizations and social club began construction of their own buildings, including the Spokane Club, the Masonic Temple, the Elks Lodge and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes, all underwritten by the wealth of silver mines, railroads and real estate. The Elks Lodge and Masonic Temple emptied over the years and were sold, but the architecture still testifies to the grand dreams of Spokane’s first generations.
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