Historic Properties of Spokane
Woodward Building
The Woodward Building is one of the oldest commercial structures in downtown Spokane, dating to 1890, when the city was still rebuilding after the Great Fire of 1889. Herman Preusse, one of Spokane’s earliest practicing and most prolific architects, designed the building for Minnesota real estate investor Lafayette Woodward. Preusse designed more buildings in the wake of the fire than any other architect, but relatively few of his downtown commercial buildings from this time period remain.