Historical Homes
Puyallup’s most significant historical building, the Meeker Mansion, still stands in the heart of downtown. Though it has endured many changes and several owners since it was originally built in 1890, the mansion has been beautifully restored to its late 19th-century glory. The Puyallup Historical Society at Meeker Mansion (formerly the Ezra Meeker Historical Society) acquired the Meeker Mansion in 1970 with the mission to restore it and share its valuable history with the public.
The Meeker Mansion, a stately Italianate villa, was home to early American pioneer Ezra Meeker and his wife, Eliza. The Meekers had raised their children in a one-room log cabin, but the mansion was later built at Eliza’s request. Both Ezra and Eliza Meeker made significant contributions to Puyallup and surrounding areas. Ezra was responsible for naming the city (after the local indigenous tribe of Indians known as the “generous people”), served as the first mayor and postmaster, and brought wealth from hop farming to the valley. Eliza founded the Puyallup public library and played an important role in the suffrage movement. The Meeker Mansion continues to serve as a historical portal into the lives and times of our beloved city’s early citizens.
