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Monahan Building

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1890; 1974 facade restoration. 1209 12th St.
  • (Photograph by Lynette Felber)

Named for its first owner, Thomas Monahan, the brick-faced Monahan Building features a two-story storefront with double glass doors. A narrow side entry leads to the upstairs. The upper story of the building, which lends the Italianate building a High Victorian character, features three wide segmental-arched sash windows capped with scrolled metal hoods. The roofline features a brick-filled central pediment identifying the building’s date of construction as well as its original owner. The storefront was slightly altered in the mid-1900s.

Monahan was an Irish immigrant and Fairhaven City Council member who constructed the building for his liquor business and saloon. He sold wine, liquor, cigars, and “straight Kentucky Whiskey” until Bellingham went dry on January 1, 1911, after locals voted to ban alcohol in the city. Monahan and his family lived on the second floor above the saloon. Subsequently, the building was occupied by the Fairhaven Pharmacy and a movie theater. Around 1974, the facade was restored to resemble its original form and the cornice was repainted. The ground floor is currently occupied by a retail store.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Lynette Felber
Coordinator: 
J. Philip Gruen
Robert R. Franklin
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Data

Timeline

  • 1890

    Design and construction

  • 1974

    Facade restoration

What's Nearby

Terminal Building
Knights of Pythias Building
Fairhaven Historic District
Nelson Block
Sycamore Square

Citation

Lynette Felber, "Monahan Building", [Bellingham, Washington], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/WA-01-073-0098-04.

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