Future office building added to historic listing

The historic Vinther and Nelson Hardware Building at 706 N. Monroe St. won Spokane City Council approval Monday for a place on the city’s historic register.

The building is undergoing restoration by a local restaurant company, which will use it for its headquarters.

The 1905 building is a good example of the type of commercial architecture that was common in the early 1900s.

It was erected for Samuel H. Vinther and Nels M. Nelson, who ran a hardware store there for decades. The store, which was eventually taken over by their children, closed in the early 1960s.

The founders both came to Spokane in 1889 and initially launched a baggage and shipping transfer business for trains.

Later, they gave up that work to concentrate on hardware.

Both men were originally from Denmark, and they married sisters. The families vacationed every summer at Priest Lake, which back then was a three-day journey by train, horse-drawn stage and steamship.

The upper portion of the building has a series of three triangles with the center triangle showing two large, round windows that are currently missing glass.

The building will house operations of Nelson Phelps Hospitality, which runs six restaurants in the Spokane area.

The company hopes to use part of the space for group events and wine dinners. The work includes installing a kitchen for developing menu items and catering. It will have space for staff training.

The company bought the building last March for $240,000, county records show. Restoration will cost at least twice that amount, said Liz Nelson, of Nelson Phelps.