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Pages From the Past

A Bookstore for the Future

In July of 2002, a page from Spokane’s history was preserved for the future, when the historic Hillyard Laundry Building was purchased by lifelong Hillyard resident Tom Weaver. “As much as anything,” Weaver said, “I wanted to be sure that the historical integrity of the building was maintained. After that, I wanted to open a business that would add something to the neighborhood - something that would fit in with Hillyard’s historic nature.”

That dream was realized in September of 2002, when Weaver opened "Pages from the Past" bookstore, in the building that had served as a laundry since it was built in 1906. In 1917, the laundry was bought by Tori and Kisapuro Shiosaki. The laundry business stayed in the family for the next 85 years. The Shiosakis’ son, Roy, ran the business until 2002. “Occasionally, we still get people who come in, hoping to have Roy do their shirts,” Weaver said. Mr. Shiosaki, a veteran of World War II, still lives nearby in Hillyard.

When the bookstore officially opened, in September of 2002, the business was a joint venture between Weaver and Mike Wyman, a local book dealer and retired social worker. Wyman left the business in April of 2004, to pursue other interests. Tom Connelly is the bookstore’s manager. A bookseller from Moses Lake, Connelly joined the staff in October of 2003, and moved his store’s inventory to Hillyard shortly thereafter. He maintains an eBay site under the name “pilotbooks,” where he lists some of the store’s more rare and collectible titles.

Connelly’s collectible inventory includes science fiction, history, and biography; the store also features a collection of Western Americana. Connelly’s eBay sales also included paint-by-numbers and original oil paintings, and these now hang on the walls at "Pages from the Past".

In December of 2004, a back room in the laundry was cleared out, to make room for a growing selection of antiques, primarily glassware and old tools.
Weaver’s efforts at preservation have paid off. In April of 2004, the building was placed on the Spokane Register of Historic Places, following registry by both the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Also in April of 2004, the bookstore was awarded a facade improvement grant of $5,000. The grant money was received from the Washington State Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, and was distributed by the Spokane City- County Office of Historic Preservation. The grant funded a restoration of the building’s crumbling masonry, a paint job, and the rebuilding of the store’s 1930s-era neon sign.

The business is also partnered with the Main Street Program, a project of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, to encourage downtown economic development within the context of historic preservation. Interior renovations continue, with plans to expand the store’s sales area into the back of the building, which is currently used for mailing and storage. “But with everything we do,” Weaver said, “our first interest is in maintaining the historical integrity of the building.” That includes incorporating elements of the former laundry into the decorating scheme--two old-fashioned steam presses in the front of the store serve as plant-stands and display racks, and a huge cast-iron mangle crowds one wall. ‘We work around what we have to,” Weaver said, admitting that he’d have to shore up the floor if he even wanted to try to move the old pressing machine. The upstairs, formerly a living area used by the Shiosaki family, is also scheduled to be converted to retail space. “But for now, we’ve got a great-looking building, and it’s filled with books, and nice old things. I couldn’t ask for a better use of the building,” Weaver said.

"Pages from the Past", at 3108 E. Olympic Avenue in Hillyard
Open from 11 a.m. to 5p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4p.m. on Sunday.
Tom Weaver and Tom Connelly can be reached at 487-1548.