Elks Apartments, # 303, 611 S Capital Way, Olympia, WA 98501

We are breathing life back into a historic building. Elks Lodge number 186 was founded in Olympia in 1891, on the heels of Washington statehood. Members included prominent businessmen and state officials. Originally meeting in the McKenny Building, the current building was erected in 1919 with a design by Olympia's preeminent architect Joseph Wohleb. Wohleb was at the height of his career and influence at this time. This imposing four-story building attests to the influence and importance of social clubs in the early decades of the 20th Century. A large panel at the roofline reminds us of the building's original use, reading "BPO Elks 186." The lodge moved to a new building on Fourth Avenue in 1960 or 1961, and then to its current location near Ralph's Thriftway.