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Bremerton

Almost everything in Bremerton owes its presence there to “the yard,” which is the local designation for the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, the ruling factor in the economic life of Kitsap County. For decades, it has been the center of Federal shipbuilding in the Pacific Northwest, and the “home port” for many U. S. Navy enlistees.

The defense boom of 1940 brought immediate and tough problems to the city, when the yard stepped up production and civilian employees streaming into the city expanded employment 235 per cent in two years. As the war years advanced the demands for housing, water, transportation, and school facilities were taxing problems which were met locally with Federal aid. Bremerton grew from a small city of 15,000 before World War II, to a city of 33,000, with a trading area of 100,000 persons.

At between-shift periods the streets of Bremerton teemed with a boisterous, colorful life. Some of the atmosphere of war-years production of ships continued through peacetimes, but not with the secrecy of operation and the dimming of lights that prevailed formerly.

The city of Bremerton is spread over a shield-shaped arm of land, surrounded on three sides by water. It may be reached by highway, or by the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1950), from Tacoma. For years, it was the largest city in the Nation not serviced by a railroad.

Points of Interest Points of Interest icon

Port Washington Narrows

Port Washington Narrows extend southeast from Dyes Inlet to Port Orchard bay, between Bremerton and East Bremerton. The name was adopted from the previous name of Dyes Inlet which was Port Washington.

Coder-Coleman House

The Coder-Coleman House was built circa 1916 in Coder’s Addition, the first platted addition to Bremerton just north of the downtown core of the city. The house was built by and for Frank W. Coder, who is considered the first building contractor in Bremerton, and is considered a hallmark example of the Craftsman style.

Bremerton Main Post Office

The Bremerton Main Post Office, finished in 1937, is a legacy of the Depression era of the federal building program. Also of significance is a mural above the doors to the administrative offices on the north wall of the lobby entitled “Northwest Logging” by Ernest Norling. The construction of public buildings during the Depression era as well as the public art represents the use of public building programs to aid local economies through a period of national economic emergency. Public buildings during this period represented a shift in federal spending policy. Construction of public buildings had tapered off with the onset of WWI and came to a halt during the war.

East Bremerton

East Bremerton, until incorporated with Bremerton, was known as Manette, and its post office still bears that name. It sprang up in the nineties as a small lumbering village around Bender’s mill, which was located near the end of the bridge connecting the present town with Bremerton. Some of the piling which supported the mill may still be seen at this point. Oxen were used in logging in those days; and along the trails in the woods lay many skeletons of the work animals and the remains of those that had been turned loose in the woods when too old to be useful. It was necessary to row across the Narrows to get mail, and the one who went to get it would ask for the “String Town” mail, meaning the settlement strung out along the road. When a dock was finally built, the village took the name of the first boat that stopped there, the Decatur, but changed it to Manette when it had achieved the proportions of a town. Today, a new bridge connects East Bremerton and Bremerton.

Bremerton Elks Lodge Temple

Since it’s completion in 1920, the Bremerton Elks Lodge Temple has served as the most important social center in the community and has figured prominently in the lives of local military and civilian employees. The building’s handsome Classical Revival styling extends into interior spaces in the well preserved stag room. A first floor, terra cotta addition in 1947 eclipsed the ceremonial entry but left all remaining design elements intact.

Bremerton Trust and Savings Bank

Built in 1914, the Bremerton Trust and Savings Bank is an ornate Italian Renaissance building designed by Seattle architect Harlan Thomas. The building’s ornate design made a bold statement in a city only 13 years old at the time of construction and represented an investment of confidence during the important years of Bremerton’s development. It housed many businesses, most notably the Bremerton Trust and Savings Bank.

Port Washington Narrow Bridge

The Port Washington Narrow Bridge played a significant role in the history of Bremerton as the city battled to provide adequate transportation facilities for its citizens. The eventual growth of Bremerton and the continuing success of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard are linked to the construction of this bridge. Built in 1958, the significant engineering feature of this bridge is its 606-foot, three-span continuous riveted steel plate girder unit. When constructed in 1958, this was the longest continuous plate girder unit in the state. It remains today the longest continuous plate girder unit on the system.

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