Top of page

Photo, Print, Drawing New Whatcom City Hall, 121 Prospect Street, Bellingham, Whatcom County, WA Bellingham City Hall Whatcom Museum of History & Art

[ Photos from Survey HABS WA-22  ]

More Resources

[ Data Pages from Survey HABS WA-22  ]
[ Photo Captions from Survey HABS WA-22  ]

About this Item

Title

  • New Whatcom City Hall, 121 Prospect Street, Bellingham, Whatcom County, WA

Other Title

  • Bellingham City Hall Whatcom Museum of History & Art

Names

  • Historic American Buildings Survey, creator
  • Lee, Alfred

Created / Published

  • Documentation compiled after 1933

Headings

  • -  city & town halls
  • -  galleries & museums
  • -  municipal government
  • -  art
  • -  brick buildings
  • -  Washington -- Whatcom County -- Bellingham

Notes

  • -  Significance: The New Whatcom City Hall building is historically significant as a symbol of its community's past and the ideas, actions and philosophies of its builders. It is architecturally significant as one of the few remaining examples of late Victorian public buildings that have been left in relatively original condition in its area. For these reasons the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 8, 1970. Built in 1892, during the last years of the Victorian era the building was the center of the boom and bust times often common to newly settled areas of the American west. The first settlers reached Bellingham Bay in 1852, and others followed soon after them, but when the New Whatcom City Hall was built, the area around the bay was still a cluster of little towns, all seeking to outdo each other in growth and economic expansion. The western terminus of several intercontinental railroads had bypassed them. Coal, timber and fishing were the remaining large industries in the area, and with the labor force this attracted, New Whatcom was a raw town, experiencing waves of boom and bust with every rumor of new industrial interest. The construction of the city hall was a major achievement during the "civilizing" of the area, and was the building where important plans were made concerning the future of this "fourth corner" of the State of Washington. The building was indeed more than an achievement, it was a symbol of the hoped for growth and prosperity of the town. New Whatcom's city council on January 15, 1892 stated of the location and building: "This is a beautiful central location, convenient and in full view of the entire city. This location with this building constructed thereon would be the first attraction of strangers coming into our harbor and a sure index to all newcommers, tourists and travellers of our taste, thrift, enterprise and intelligence." and that the building would be "elaborate, expensive and elegant in design." They further indicated that it "would be a great credit and ornament to the city." As such the building testifies to the expansion hopes of the young community. It was, and continues to be a manifestation of the ideas and ideals of western towns and their leaders during a period of competitive growth and development. As an architectural structure the building has retained or been restored near to its original 1892 external appearance. It continues active use as a well maintained, structurally sound building. Designed by a local, self-taught architect (as was typical of many smaller communities at the time) it reflects the eclectic Victorian style prominent in the West in the 1890's. It is a unique, yet fine example of small city late-Victorian public architecture and one of the few remaining examples in the area.
  • -  Survey number: HABS WA-22
  • -  Building/structure dates: 1892 Initial Construction
  • -  Building/structure dates: 1962 Subsequent Work

Medium

  • Photo(s): 11
  • Data Page(s): 9
  • Photo Caption Page(s): 1

Call Number/Physical Location

  • HABS WASH,37-BEL,3-

Source Collection

  • Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress)

Repository

Control Number

  • wa0133

Rights Advisory

Online Format

  • image
  • pdf

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not license or charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material.

Ultimately, it is the researcher's obligation to assess copyright or other use restrictions and obtain permission from third parties when necessary before publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the Library's collections.

For information about reproducing, publishing, and citing material from this collection, as well as access to the original items, see: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscape Survey (HABS/HAER/HALS) Collection - Rights and Restrictions Information

  • Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://aj.sunback.homes/rr/print/res/114_habs.html
  • Reproduction Number: ---
  • Call Number: HABS WASH,37-BEL,3-
  • Access Advisory: ---

Obtaining Copies

If Digital Images Are Displaying

You can download online images yourself. Alternatively, you can purchase copies of various types through Library of Congress Duplication Services.

HABS/HAER/HALS materials have generally been scanned at high resolution that is suitable for most publication purposes (see Digitizing the Collection for further details about the digital images).

  • Photographs--All photographs are printed from digital files to preserve the fragile originals.
    • Make note of the Call Number and Item Number that appear under the photograph in the multiple-image display (e.g., HAER, NY,52-BRIG,4-2).
    • If possible, include a printout of the photograph.
  • Drawings--All drawings are printed from digital files to preserve the fragile originals.
    • Make note of the Survey Number (e.g., HAER NY - 143) and Sheet Number (e.g., "Sheet 1 of 4"), which appear on the edge of the drawing. (NOTE: These numbers are visible in the Tiff "Reference Image" display.)
    • If possible, include a printout of the drawing.
  • Data Pages
    • Make note of the Call Number in the catalog record.

If Digital Images Are Not Displaying

In the rare case that a digital image for HABS/HAER/HALS documentation is not displaying online, select images for reproduction through one of these methods:

  • Visit the Prints & Photographs Reading Room and request to view the group (general information about service in the reading room is available at: https://aj.sunback.homes/rr/print/info/001_ref.html). It is best to contact reference staff in advance (see: https://aj.sunback.homes/rr/print/address.html) to make sure the material is on site. OR
  • P&P reading room staff can provide up to 15 quick copies of items per calendar year (many original items in the holdings are too old or fragile to make such copies, but generally HABS/HAER/HALS materials are in good enough condition to be placed on photocopy machines). For assistance, see our Ask a Librarian page OR
  • Hire a freelance researcher to do further selection for you (a list of researchers in available at: https://aj.sunback.homes/rr/print/resource/013_pic.html).
  • You can purchase copies of various types, including quick copies, through Library of Congress Duplication Services (price lists, contact information, and order forms for Library of Congress Duplication Services are available on the Duplication Services Web site):
    • Make note of the Call Number listed above.
    • Look at the Medium field above. If it lists more than one item:
      • The entire group can be ordered as photocopies or high-quality copies.
      • All the items in a particular medium (e.g., all drawings, all photographs) can be ordered as photocopies or high-quality copies.

Access to Originals

Please use the following steps to determine whether you need to fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room to view the original item(s). In some cases, a surrogate (substitute image) is available, often in the form of a digital image, a copy print, or microfilm.

  1. Is the item digitized? (A thumbnail (small) image will be visible on the left.)

    • Yes, the item is digitized. Please use the digital image in preference to requesting the original. All images can be viewed at a large size when you are in any reading room at the Library of Congress. In some cases, only thumbnail (small) images are available when you are outside the Library of Congress because the item is rights restricted or has not been evaluated for rights restrictions.
      As a preservation measure, we generally do not serve an original item when a digital image is available. If you have a compelling reason to see the original, consult with a reference librarian. (Sometimes, the original is simply too fragile to serve. For example, glass and film photographic negatives are particularly subject to damage. They are also easier to see online where they are presented as positive images.)
    • No, the item is not digitized. Please go to #2.
  2. Do the Access Advisory or Call Number fields above indicate that a non-digital surrogate exists, such as microfilm or copy prints?

    • Yes, another surrogate exists. Reference staff can direct you to this surrogate.
    • No, another surrogate does not exist. Please go to #3.
  3. If you do not see a thumbnail image or a reference to another surrogate, please fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room. In many cases, the originals can be served in a few minutes. Other materials require appointments for later the same day or in the future. Reference staff can advise you in both how to fill out a call slip and when the item can be served.

To contact Reference staff in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, please use our Ask A Librarian service or call the reading room between 8:30 and 5:00 at 202-707-6394, and Press 3.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Historic American Buildings Survey, Creator, and Alfred Lee. New Whatcom City Hall, 121 Prospect Street, Bellingham, Whatcom County, WA. Bellingham Washington Whatcom County, 1933. Documentation Compiled After. Photograph. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/wa0133/.

APA citation style:

Historic American Buildings Survey, C. & Lee, A. (1933) New Whatcom City Hall, 121 Prospect Street, Bellingham, Whatcom County, WA. Bellingham Washington Whatcom County, 1933. Documentation Compiled After. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/wa0133/.

MLA citation style:

Historic American Buildings Survey, Creator, and Alfred Lee. New Whatcom City Hall, 121 Prospect Street, Bellingham, Whatcom County, WA. Documentation Compiled After. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <aj.sunback.homes/item/wa0133/>.