John A. Cherberg Building

View the John A. Cherberg Building on the Capitol Campus Map.

The John A. Cherberg Building and its twin, the John L. O'Brien Building, complete the Capitol Group under Walter R. Wilder and Harry K. White's Master Plan. Together, they frame the south side of the Legislative Building and create a sense of unity within the National Historical District. While looking identical to the John L. O'Brien Building from the outside, the John A. Cherberg Building's Art Deco interior design elements make it unique.

In its basic form, scale, orientation, and Wilkeson sandstone, the John A. Cherberg Building effectively references the Legislative Building without being overly assertive in its presence, proving the strength and thoughtfulness of the original Wilder and White plan.

Today, the John A. Cherberg Building primarily houses offices and hearing rooms for the Senate.

History

After the 1929 stock market crash, much of the construction on Capitol Campus stopped. Then, in September 1935, the state received a federal grant from the Public Works Administration (PWA) to build a new office building on Capitol Campus.

However, Wilder and White, the architects who designed the Temple of Justice and Legislative Building, didn't get to design the John A. Cherberg Building due to Wilder's death in 1930. Without Wilder and White leading the project, the State Capitol Committee had to find a new architect.

Olympia architect Joseph Wohleb designed the new building, honoring Wilder and White's Master Plan by keeping the building's original placement on the south side of the Legislative Building. He also used the same exterior neo-classical design, detailing, and material as Wilder and White's prior Capitol Campus projects. However, Wohleb embraced his own taste when designing the interior by going with a 1930s art deco style.

Excavation began in December 1935. By August 1936, a cornerstone ceremony took place. Within the cornerstone were placed copies of the Washington State Constitution, the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Gettysburg Address, as well as a yearbook of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a photograph of Isaac Stevens (Washington State's first governor), a small American Flag, a small State Flag, and other items. A celebration followed the ceremony.

The new building's tenants expected to move in by early December 1936, but Wohleb requested an extension on the project timeline to complete a portion of the first floor. A strike protesting unfair wages and working conditions slowed the project's final phase. The State Capitol Committee granted an extension, setting a new completion date of January 15, 1937.

Unfortunately, the strike continued, requiring several more delays. As a result, the building's occupancy deadline got pushed back to June 1937 and then again to September 1937. Finally, construction ended on September 15, 1937, and the tenants could move in.

Within ten years, the Department of Public Lands, the Washington State Liquor Control Board, the Department of Public Institutions, the Washington State Board of Prison Terms and Paroles, the Department of Public Welfare, and the Director of Budget occupied the building. The Department of Social Security joined these agencies in the building in 1950.

Crews remodeled the building from 1966 to 1970 to house state legislators and their staff. During the mid-1970s, officials referred to it as the Senate Office Building.

In 1985, the state renamed the building in honor of Lieutenant Governor John A. Cherberg. In the early 1990s, the Public Lands offices left the building to occupy the new Natural Resources Building.

In 2001, the John A. Cherberg Building underwent numerous repairs after the Nisqually earthquake struck.