History Lessons: Life Cycle for a lifetime

When four historic courthouses in the Pacific Northwest mark their centennials, they have something else to celebrate: 100 years of solid value and embodied energy in their historic Terrazzo floors.

In Washington, Spokane’s Federal Building and U.S. Post Office celebrated 100 years in 2009, and Tacoma Union Station in 2011. In Oregon, Yakima’s William O. Douglas Courthouse’s first case was tried in 1912. Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse boasts Terrazzo floors dating from 1905.

One of the lessons the history of these buildings teaches us is the value of using materials that last.

“Terrazzo is a very durable, beautiful substance for buildings with high traffic,” reported Rebecca Nielsen, Historic Preservation Program Specialist and LEED Accredited Professional with U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) in Auburn, WA. She oversees 20 historic register federal buildings in the Pacific Northwest.

“Terrazzo was obviously a good choice because 100 years later we are still using it,” Nielsen noted.

“On the whole, these floors are in really great shape and look great,” she said. “We feature them and maintain them. We are proud of them.”

In recent Building Preservation Plans of each historic courthouse, the original Terrazzo floors were generally rated a significant contributor in the hierarchy of preservation concerns in the structure’s historic significance. These 100-year-old floors were also generally rated in good-to-excellent condition. Through the years, the floors have required only repairs of chips or minor cracks and an occasional resealing, along with routine maintenance, to keep them functional.

“The terrazzo is in great shape,” Nielsen explained. “We fix up the cracks and we maintain it. There’s certainly no reason to replace it. It’s working just fine.”

Unique mosaics—the only historic mosaics in a four-state area of historic federal buildings— adorn the 1910 vestibule of Spokane’s Federal Building and U.S. Post Office.

“The building was built to last and built to be impressive,” Nielsen explained. “It’s really beautiful with lovely details.”

Corridors in second through fourth floors combine Terrazzo and solid marble in a geometric pattern. In 1994, the historic floors were repaired and leveled by resurfacing. In 2004, the building won The Office Building of the Year Award in the historic category from the Building Owners and Managers Association Northwest Region.