The Olympia Tumwater Foundation July Newsletter

July 2024

Happenings

Events

Summer at the Schmidt 2024 Comes to a Close

Thank you to all who supported our Summer at the Schmidt events this year! Both the July Speakeasy Garden Party and August Midsummer Night's Dream Faire were hits!

We partnered with the City of Tumwater Parks and Recreation Arts Program to host a series of events at the Schmidt House. We raised funds for the Procession of the Species organization, and a new education grant for Tumwater School District music educators, which will be available for applicants this fall. A special thank you to OBee Credit Union for sponsoring this event series.

We hope to see you all again next summer!

Speakeasy Garden Party

The July event, a Speakeasy Garden Party funded a new scholarship to be added into our Early Learning Grant Program - a music grant for K-12 Tumwater School District music educators who need funding for purchasing instruments and supplies.

Midsummer Night's Dream Faire

The August event, a Midsummer Night's Dream Faire benefitted the Procession of the Species organization. Many of the artists in the organization reside and work in Tumwater as well as Olympia, they are iconic in the local community.

Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls

A New Book From Don Trosper Arrives in the Gift Shop

Don Trosper, renowned historian, has authored another book! Titled "The Tumwater We Thought We Knew", this book is the second installment in his short stories of Tumwater history series. It hit the shelves in our gift shop recently, and is now available for purchase!

Online Shop

The Finishing Touch

Keith Phillips, founding member of the Tenino Stone Carvers, installed the perfect finishing touch to our Olympia Brewing Company monument in Brewery Park! This commemorative plaque thanks the Schmidt family of Tumwater, who founded the Olympia Brewing Company, for their support in developing Brewery Park. The park was built in 1962, and has been run by the Olympia Tumwater Foundation in perpetuity. Keith Phillips was also the artist who designed and carved this monument a few years ago.

The Schmidt House

Tour the Schmidt House

The next tour of the Schmidt House is scheduled for September 3rd from 11am-12:30pm.

Join us for a guided tour of one of Tumwater’s most iconic homes, the Schmidt House, built in 1904 for Leopold Schmidt, founder of the Olympia Brewing Company and his family. Your Tour Guide will take you through four levels of the house from the basement (which houses our archives) to the top floor. Find yourself immersed in the rich history Tumwater has to offer. Doors will open at 10:45am. Please note: The first floor is ADA accessible, but the rest of the house requires climbing stairs.

Species at the Schmidt House

Did we mention that during our Summer at the Schmidt Midsummer Night's Dream Faire there were numerous procession species inhabiting the grounds? Attendees shared the lawn with this magnificent Zebra, a Rhinoceros, Lion, even a slug, and many more!

Host Your Wedding at the Schmidt House

We are offering the Schmidt House as a wedding venue again in 2024! Limited bookings per year are available, so inquire as soon as possible to reserve your booking!

Learn more

News

Falls Fest is Coming Up!

Tumwater Falls Fest is right around the corner, and will be held on Saturday, September 28th, 2024. We can't wait to see you all again this year, and are looking forward to another fun festival full of surprises!

Learn more

From The Curator

Aerial Photo of the Olympia Brewing Co. Campus ca. 1959

This air photo of the brewery, circa 1959, shows the brand-new Interstate 5 cutting through the center of the scene. Just left of center, you can see the 1906 railroad bridge connecting the old brewhouse with what is now Tumwater Historical Park.

Want to see more photos like this?

Explore the history of the Tumwater area through vintage photos! In 2020, OTF was awarded a grant from the Thurston County Historic Commission. This grant allowed OTF to digitize over 4,400 images from its collection. We are still actively adding more photos so make sure to check back regularly!

OTF Historic Photos Archive

Karen Johnson, Schmidt House Curator.

Don't forget to check out our website!

Visit our Website

110 Deschutes Parkway SW, Tumwater, WA 98501 • +1 (360) 943-2550

https://olytumfoundation.org/