Pagoda at Point Defiance Park

5801 Trolley Ln.
(253) 305-1010

A focal point of Point Defiance Park's Japanese Garden, the Pagoda was built in 1914 as a replica of a 17th century Japanese Lodge. It was originally a waiting room for streetcars. Now this magnificent structure functions as a rental facility for weddings and other private parties as well as a venue for garden shows, lectures and concerts. Gardens surrounding the Pagoda feature pools, a waterfall, a picturesque footbridge, cherry trees, azaleas and rhododendrons.

History
Built in 1914 in an eclectic oriental temple style undoubtedly influenced by the recommended Japanese architecture of the Hare & Hare Plan of 1911, and initially referred to as simply "the Car Station", the Pagoda served as a waiting room for the streetcars, with restrooms and first aid facilities on the lower level.  Architect Luther Twichell designed the new streetcar station in the Japanese "Pagoda" style, which was considered complimentary to the adjoining gardens. Newspaper articles prior to the Pagoda's completion indicated the modern and luxurious amenities it would have. The women's restroom would have easy chairs, couches, and in the summer season, an attendant to hand out towels and keep the facility clean. Men visiting the Pagoda would find a separate smoking room and marble lavatories. The waiting room itself was to be roomy with tile floors and walls, comfortable chairs and a fireplace to keep warm in the cooler weather. Early photographs of the Pagoda suggest it was in fact built as planned.  Later used as a bus station, and then as a locale for garden clubs and floral displays, the Pagoda was meticulously restored in 1988.  It now looks much the same as it did originally, although the original waiting room furniture is long gone and the restroom facilities have been modernized.

There may have been Japanese-inspired gardens in the area of the Pagoda even before it was built in 1914. Certainly after its construction, Point Defiance gardeners made more of an effort to design plantings in harmony with its Japanese style architecture. In 1963, a two-year project under the sponsorship of the Capitol District of Garden Clubs began to give the gardens a more characteristic Japanese ambience. In the 1980s, the local Japanese community helped add a number of additional features that continued to refine the authenticity of the garden. A Shinto shrine and Torii Gate were re-located to the east side of the Pagoda in 1982. These features were originally a gift to the City of Tacoma from its "sister city", Kitakyushu, Japan in 1961. The Japanese Gardens are a work in progress that continue to reflect the rich cultural heritage of Tacoma.

Last Updated: Nov 17, 2009 9:51 AM