| East Benton County Historical Society |
Most of Richland's pre-1943 structures no longer stand. When the government took possession of Richland, it razed most of the structures because they could not be integrated into the new infrastructure. Reasons included inadequate construction techniques and lack of plumbing. The historic buildings on this page built before 1943 represent the few survivors.
It is a rather interesting note that two of the historic buildings, the Benton Water Company Building and the Richland Irrigation District Building were both two-stories high when constructed. During their history they were both reduced to one-story.
Click on the thumbnail images for a full-sized picture.
| Benton Water Company building (1907) | 700 George Washington Way |
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The Benton Water Company,
headed by Howard S. Amon, owned and built the town of
Richland. The Company was headquartered here when the
building was built in 1907, with the corner office
serving for many years as WR Amon and Co., Private
Bankers and Security State Bank. Before the government
came in, this building also housed drug stores, a pool
hall, the post office and grocery stores on the first
floor, with offices and Amon Hall with its big dance
floor in the now demolished second floor. Since 1943, a
number of businesses have occupied the building, from
jewelry stores to the Richland Chamber of Commerce. This building has been heavily modified since its original construction. In addition to the top floor which was removed, most of the original windows no longer exist either. You can see a hint of where there used be windows by the pediments on the front of the building. |
| Richland Irrigation District Building (1909) | 89 Lee Boulevard |
|
Built in 1909, this
building served as a home, an apartment house, and a
hotel before the Richland Irrigation District bought it
in 1937 and took off the top story. This then became
their headquarters. After the government came in, the
building served as the first Ganzel's barber shop, the
office for the Ration Board, the home of the Richland
Villager newspaper, and the Village Library. Allied Arts
have made their home here for 25 years. The larger structure on the right is the original portion of the building. The arc shaped roof portion was a later, post WWII addition. |
| Richland Meat Market (1911) | 710 The Parkway |
 |
George Gress and Frank Schuster had this building built in 1911 for their Meat Market. Schuster later left to run a meat market up in White Bluffs. They later became brothers-in-law, marrying sisters. Gress's meat market was the longest operating business in Richland, lasting until 1943. The building has had many uses since then, including the newspaper and the library. |
| Murray Hardware Building (1939) | 701 George Washington Way |
|
Built in 1939 by AS Murray, a longtime contractor and hardware store owner. Murray had come to Richland some thirty years earlier, and moved to Kennewick after the government came in. He moved into this building after nearly twenty years in the hardware business next to Nelson & Dam store. He later built many building, including Kennewick General Hospital. In the new Richland, this building served as a grocery store and later another hardware store. |
| Richland Theatre (1944) | 505 The Parkway |
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Richland's first theatre, the Richland Theatre, the Richland Theatre opened in February of 1944. The theatre was operated by the Midstate Amusement Company, as was its companion, the Village, which opened a year later. Looking much as it did nearly 50 years ago, this theatre is now home to the Richland Players. |
| Richland Community House (1945) | 650 George Washington Way |
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Richland's Recreation Building opened in January of 1945 and has served as a community institution since. With meeting rooms, game rooms, the French restaurant L'Abbe, a bowling alley, a tavern, and much more, this building served as the hub of Richland's recreational activities for many years and is still heavily used. This historic building faces an uncertain future. Recently, the City of Richland has proposed building a new community center to replace this building. |
Source material from the EBCHS archives. Photographs and architectural analysis by Jeremy Wells.
| EBCHS home page | ebchs @ verizon.net |
