Olympia, the capital of Washington State, has undergone many changes from 1872 to the present. In particular, Capitol Campus has seen dramatic change. Currently, The General Administration building (a landmark of machine age architecture) is targeted for demolition in order to make room for a new Heritage Center to house the State Archives, Library, Museum and Visitor’s Center (a projected landmark for tourism and historic objects). This is causing some degree of discussion in the state of Washington: a few are opposed, a few are in agreement, and no one lacks an opinion. What better time to begin reconstructing the past while looking toward the future?

Olytimeline.org attempts to document and preserve Capitol Campus’s appearance between 1872 and 2012, using contemporary and historical photographs, documents, Google Earth overlays, and user comments. This is an ongoing project, and pieces will be added. Comments are welcome for discussion, reminiscences, additional information, or mistakes. It is not the intention of this website to judge any changes, but to be a source of information. Nor is this site an attempt to be a repository for Capitol Campus related historical documents (this is the mission of such institutions as the Washington State Archives); but to reconstruct, project, and stimulate discussion.