The end of an era... State seal removed from General Administration Building

| By DES Communications

A large bronze bust of George Washington being lifted by heavy construction equipment with three construction workers guiding it.
Contractor removes the 500-pound George Washington bust from the GA Building before taking it to storage.

George Washington has watched over the West Campus lawn for 70 years. But the vacant office building upon which he’s mounted is coming down. On Monday, April 13, so did he.

The General Administration (GA) Building, which has stood empty since 2018, is in the early stages of a six-month demolition process. The state seal is one of numerous historic fixtures that the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) is removing from the building, preserving, and storing for future use.

Made of cast bronze, the seal consists of 33 individual letters and numbers, two perimeter rings, and a rendering of George Washington. It’s about 11 feet in diameter. It’s the only adornment on the building, which was the first building on Capitol Campus to embrace the spare, modernist aesthetics of midcentury International Style.

DES oversaw the removal by the project's contractor, Active Construction Inc., of Tacoma, on Monday, April 13 and Tuesday, April 14. Working from a platform four stories above the ground, the crew photographed and tagged each of the seal's 42 parts. They then removed them from the sandstone facade, using a hoist to stabilize its heaviest element, the bronze bust of Washington at the center. Before packing the seal's pieces for storage, they photographed and numbered each piece, so it can be reconstructed faithfully in another setting. The seal's elements are stored in a sheltered area not far from its former home.

Facts about the GA Building seal

Makeup

33 letters and numbers, two rings, and a rendering of George Washington. All cast bronze.

The seal is made of 42 components; Washington is the 42nd state in the union. It’s unknown whether these numbers match on purpose.

Dimensions

The seal is 11 feet, 6 inches in diameter.

Each letter is 18 inches tall.

The bust of Washington is estimated to weigh between 500-700 pounds.

Artist

Jerald Reames

Significance

Featured in the architect's original design, the seal is the building exterior’s sole decorative element.

History

The Legislature approved an official seal of the state of Washington in 1967, more than a decade after this seal's creation. Earlier versions of the seal are visible in the Legislative Building. Learn about the most prominent Washington State Seal, which is embedded in the floor of the Rotunda, and see images of other seals.

Future use

To be determined. Until then, the seal is preserved in a sheltered storage area.

Contact Us

DES Communications
media@des.wa.gov
360-407-9300