This historic downtown venue is about to reopen and a Lacey brewery celebrates 7 years
Downtown Olympia’s Abigail Stuart House, which has been home to The Woman’s Club of Olympia for more than 100 years, has been closed to the public during the pandemic.
But that doesn’t mean the house sat quietly collecting dust at 1002 Washington St. SE.
Instead, after the club secured $250,000 in funds from the state Legislature in 2019, the money was used this past summer on a major tune up known as the “let in the light” renovation, said club president Sandra Groves.
Interiors were brightened with new paint, windows were exposed, new cabinets were installed and granite counter tops were added. Wooden floors, badly in need of restoration, were renovated on the main floor and upstairs, including in a dance studio. The parking lot was repaved.
Up next: The club expects to spend $30,000 to renovate the balcony.
The historic home is named for Abigail Stuart, although she was known as Abbie Howard Hunt Stuart, Groves said. She was a founding member and the club’s first president and an early supporter of women’s suffrage. The club got its start in 1883, Groves said.
In the early days of the club, the women met in their homes, then later gathered in a small clubhouse that was destroyed by fire. They raised money to build the current house in 1908. Today, the club has 41 members and is know for supporting a number of charitable causes — SafePlace, Thurston County Food Bank and others — as well as providing annual scholarships to local high school students.
The money for those causes is raised by renting out the house or rooms for events, be it a wedding, funeral reception or some other event. The house has a full kitchen and restrooms.
More events are coming. The club will celebrate its grand re-opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 21. There’s an invitation-only event at 2 p.m., but then the house will open to the public at 3 p.m, said reservations coordinator Brittney Svach.
Also on the calendar: The NBC-TV murder mystery program “Dateline” has expressed interest in potentially using the space for an interview.
For more about the club or the house, go to womansclubofolympia.org or the abigailstuarthouse.com.
Top Rung Brewing is celebrating its seventh anniversary on June 11-12 at the brewery in Lacey, 8343 Hogum Bay Lane NE, the business announced.
The celebration will feature the release of Top Rung’s “Duke of Lacey” English Mild, a return of a popular seasonal. There also will be live music on both days, including musical groups Carbon Pop Smash Burgers, Strike 9 and the Port Taco Pop Up.
The event has been spread over two days to help maintain capacity within the parameters of Phase 3 of Gov. Inslee’s “Healthy Washington” plan.
Top Rung, which opened in 2014, brews in a 10-barrel brew house. The tap room is open six days a week, offering views of the production space. The tap room is family friendly, and dogs are welcome on the patio. The hours are 2-9 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; noon to 9 p.m. Saturdays; noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
If you know of a retailer, restaurant, coffee shop or other business that is opening, closing, expanding, remodeling, or changing its focus, send an email to reporter Rolf Boone at rboone@theolympian.com.
This story was originally published June 11, 2021 at 5:45 AM with the headline "This historic downtown venue is about to reopen and a Lacey brewery celebrates 7 years."
