HistoryLink Tours

There was a time when Tacoma produced more furniture and doors than any other city in the United States. A giant in that industry was the F. S. Harmon Company, which operated out of a complex of buildings centered around this eight-story giant. In 1909, when this building was constructed at the cost of $135,000, architect Carl August Darmer was already at work on a second building for the Harmon Company. The flatiron factory building sits behind the main building and is connected by an unusual elevated bridge over the rail siding. The ghost of the Harmon Company sign can still be seen on the south wall. Notice the second story recessed bay windows on the Harmon Building. The architectural design feature is revived in the new Federal Courthouse as a thoughtful connection between the best of the old and new in the district.