Daniel T. Bigelow House, 918 East Glass Avenue, Olympia, Thurston County, WA

Significance: The significance of the Bigelow House rests on its architecture, construction, and most importantly, on its association with Daniel R. Bigelow, pioneer lawyer and member of the first legislature of Washington Territory. The house is one of the oldest buildings remaining in Olympia. Its Gothic Revival Style, reflected in the ornate gable bargeboards, was common at the time this house was built, but there are few remaining in the Olympia area. A significant structural feature of the house is its unusual foundation. It rests on cedar logs that float like a raft directly on the earth. Daniel R. Bigelow was a very important figure in the development of Olympia and Washington Territory. He was a graduate of Harvard Law School, a lawyer, and an early defender of human rights. In 1853, he helped rewrite the laws of Oregon Territory. He held numerous public offices on the local and county levels as well as serving in the first legislature of Washington Territory where he was among those responsible for women voting in 1884 and 1886.
Survey number: HABS WA-161
Building/structure dates: 1854 Initial Construction