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Site/Building History:
In September 1883, Jorgen Eliason, Poulsbo's first permanent settler, rowed into Dog Fish Bay on the eastern side of the Kitsap Peninsula. Eliason followed Ole Stubb, who lives on the south side of the bay, to the area because they are from the same hometown in Norway. After Stubb assists him in locating a parcel, Eliason files his claim and returns to Seattle to fetch his sister, Rakel, and son, E.J. Eliason.
Around 1901, at least part of the property was used as a shoe and harness repair shop by Nels Olson (brother-in-law of Jorgen Eliason). In 1905 the small shop was moved across the street and outfitted as a real estate office. In 1906 Nels Olson began excavation for the present Eliason building.
The main Eliason building opened in 1908. E.J. Eliason (son of Jorgen) owned the mercantile on the first floor and had his family apartment along with other apartments he rented out on the second floor. It appears that the third floor was used for storage early on. In 1920 the Masonic Lodge leased the floor for its use, and it is believed that in Eliason's will, the lease was granted in perpetuity to the Masons.
It wasn't long after the mercantile opened that people complained that they couldn't get their mail after store hours, so E.J. who was the postmaster, built the little shop (Annex) to the south to accommodate them.
E.J. Eliason kept his business in half of the first floor and rented out the other half to Paulson, Hostmark and Borgen (PHB) for a grocery business. In 1912 Eliason added a soda fountain/ice cream parlor in his half and also accommodated Wallace's Jewelry - the town watchmaker.
In 1921, E.J. Eliason closed out his business and, after some remodeling, the Kitsap County Co-op moved its store into the space formerly occupied by Eliason. PHB closed in 1923 and the Co-op moved their men's clothing and shoe store into that space. The Co-op remained in the building until 1959. From 1960 to 1965, the 1st Ave. Grocery store was in residence. During the 1970s CHT Appliance and Montgomery Ward's occupied the bottom floor.
The Eliason building and the warehouse building across the street were the only buildings on the south end of Front Street that remained standing after the great fire of 1914. Fortunately, that night the breeze was blowing from the south and there was a small grassy yard between the store and the hotel. The fire started in the hotel.
The little post office remained in its spot until about 1915 when it moved up the street to the Liberty Block building. There have been a wide variety of businesses in that small space also - from an early undertaker in the 1920s, to a second-hand store in the 1970s.
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