🌉 The Surprising History Beneath Our Office at 38 E Main Street

Most people walk into our office and notice the vaulted ceilings, the natural light, the downtown charm…

But what they don’t realize is that our building has one of the wildest backstories in Walla Walla.

Yes — our office is literally built on top of a bridge over Mill Creek.

Let’s take a quick trip back in time.

🕰️ 1863: Mortgages, Wagons & Early Walla Walla

The first known owners of this land were A.J. & Sarah Miner, who in 1863 took out a $300 mortgage that covered their home and half the block. Soon after, Dovell & Massam opened a wagon-making shop here. One even went on to run a planing mill and a furniture store nearby.

This block quickly became a hub of early Walla Walla entrepreneurs.

🔧 1860s–1880s: Creek Challenges & Constant Reinvention

Mill Creek once carved directly through Block H. Over the next decades, various owners bought, sold, surveyed, and re-surveyed the lots — all while working around the natural creek channel.

Shoemakers, grocers, carpenters, and machine repair shops all occupied this little stretch of Main Street.

🏗️ 1891: The Game-Changing Moment

Here’s the part that surprises even lifelong locals:

In 1891, the Walla Walla Agricultural & Industrial Exposition bought the land and received official permission to build a commercial structure spanning Mill Creek.

Yep — our building is literally on a bridge.

And that’s exactly why the building is named Die Brücke, which is German for “The Bridge.”

This project transformed the block, creating a large building footprint on top of the creek itself — a design that still exists today.

👤 The Baumeister Legacy

Around 1900, prominent businessman Max Baumeister purchased the property. A German immigrant who arrived in Walla Walla with only $15 to his name, he grew into a major figure in real estate, insurance, loans, and commerce.

His story is woven into the building’s history — and adds even more local flavor to the foundation of 38 E Main.

🌉 Today: A Modern Office Built on Top of History

From wagon shops to water channels to a building perched above a creek, the Die Brücke Building has lived many lives.

Today, it’s home to The Provost Real Estate Team — and we feel lucky to work in a building with such a rich, unusual, and uniquely Walla Walla story.

Stop by sometime…

We’ll show you where the bridge still lives beneath our feet.