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Chester Thorne (1863-1927), became President of Tacoma's National Bank of Commerce (later to become the National Bank of Tacoma in 1913) at age 31and a leading businessman in the city, serving on the boards of Pacific Cold Storage Company, Pacific Alaska Navigation Company, Pacific Steamship Company, Alaska Coast Company, Tacoma General Hospital, Annie Wright Seminary, Rainier National Park Company, and Tacoma Savings Bank and Trust Company, and from 1920-1927 was a Board Member and President of the Port of Tacoma. He wanted a large residence for himself, his wife, Anna Hoxie Thorne, and his daughter, Anita Thorne Corse. In 1908, he commissioned Cutter to design the house and the nationally known Olmsted Brothers Landscape Architecture firm of Brookline, MA, to layout the gardens. John C. Olmsted laid out 24 acres of formal gardens, including the "Secret Garden," a walled English garden, still well-preserved in 2010. In that year, Thornewood functioned as an inn.

This gigantic 3-story, Tudor Revival Style manor house contained over 27,000 square feet when built in 1908-1911. The house possessed 54 room--22 bedrooms and 22 baths--as originally designed by architect Kirtland Kelsey Cutter. Originally, Thornewood Castle was constructed adjacent to the Tacoma Country and Golf Club (TCGC), of which Chester Thorne was a founding member. (Socially active, Thorne also belonged to Union Club, the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce, Fircrest Golf Club of Tacoma, the University Club of New York, the Rainier Club and the Country and Golf Club of Seattle.) Later sub-division of the Thornewood property, placed houses between Thornewood and the TCGC. Tel: (253) 584-4393 (2010);

Alterations were made by 1922-1923 by Edwin J. Ivey.

PCAD id: 8823