History of the Brewery District
The Brewery District is part of the oldest portion of Tumwater. Located near the Deschutes River, the area was the original location of the 1st American settlement on Puget Sound, and included a variety of commercial businesses and operations that took advantage of the river’s power for manufacturing. Construction of Interstate 5, however, displaced this historic settlement, particularly the commercial portion. The historic downtown was destroyed and commercial businesses moved east within the neighborhood, and south outside of the neighborhood. Closure of the Olympia Brewery in 2003 further impacted the area, leaving a large brownfield in the center of the Brewery District.