Then and now: Sears warehouse

For most of the twentieth century, Sears was intertwined with Christmas, when rural shoppers could use their catalog to mail order items from their wish lists, from toys to snow tires, drum sets to hunting rifles, cameras to girdles. Related story: Sears Warehouse on East Sprague.

Section:Gallery

Sun., Dec. 15, 2019

Sears, Roebuck and Co. leased this single story warehouse from the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1938, streamlining the movement of general merchandise to Spokane stores and mail order customers. It’s shown here in a 1939 photo. The unassuming building, designed by Charles I. Carpenter, was also a place where customers could place mail orders and pick up their purchases. Sears vacated the building around 1983. Today, the building houses a charter school called Pride Prep.

The Spokesman-Review Photo Archive Sr
This 1938 warehouse, pictured here in a December 2019 photo was designed by Charles I. Carpenter, at 811 E. Sprague Ave. It was built by Northern Pacific Railroad and leased to Sears, Roebuck & Co. to move products to and through Spokane. Though less grandiose than the retail stores, it was an important cog in both the mail order and retail sales business of Sears, the nation’s largest retailer for much of the 20th century. The warehouse was vacated around 1983 and the building is now a charter school called Pride Prep.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review