Today we gather in the spirit of historical reverence and architectural grandeur as we reflect on the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Tacoma Hotel in Tacoma, Washington. The Tremendous edifice that once stood on A Street between South 9th and 10th served as a symbol of ambition for the city—yet the records of its exact groundbreaking moment are not crisply documented. What we do know is that construction commenced in the early 1880s for what would open in August 1884, so our depiction of the groundbreaking event necessarily builds upon the context of the time.
The hotel was commissioned by the Northern Pacific Railroad and its subsidiary Tacoma Land Company, following the decision to establish Tacoma as the terminus of the railroad. With prestige in mind, the hotel was designed by the renowned New York architect Stanford White of the firm McKim, Mead & White, with oversight and local adaptation by architect William M. Whidden. Construction began around 1883–84, the hotel opened to the public on August 8, 1884.
While a formal “groundbreaking ceremony” date remains elusive in historical records, we infer that the ceremony would have taken place shortly before major construction began—likely in 1883 or early 1884—symbolizing Tacoma’s bold bid to become the “City of Destiny.” On such an occasion, dignitaries of the Northern Pacific and local civic leaders would have gathered with ceremonious tools: the kind of premium groundbreaking shovels, polished and engraved for the occasion, and the kind of VIP groundbreaking shovels reserved for honored guests. At that time, a raised platform might have been draped with an event carpet and bordered by stanchions and ropes, ribbons and banners, creating a stage befitting such a transformative event.
In our envisioning of that event, guests arriving on the bluff overlooking Commencement Bay would have stepped onto an elegant event carpet, each VIP reaching for their VIP groundbreaking shovels—etched with the hotel’s name—and one of the members of the railroad leadership using a premium groundbreaking shovel to turn the first sod of the site. The decorative approach would have included shovel display stands showing off the gleaming tools before they were used, as well as custom ribbons tied in loops about the shovel handles and hanging from nearby stanchions. In our modern reproductions, we invoke the same style: shovel display stands arranged at the forefront of a ceremony, premium groundbreaking shovels laid out for dignitaries, and VIP groundbreaking shovels reserved for the most senior guest. On display alongside these were shovel display stands, polished and stable, elevating each tool as a symbol of progress.
At CeremonialSupplies.com, we honor such traditions with our full range of ceremonial props: premium groundbreaking shovels crafted in gold-toned finishes, comfortable hardwood handles, and personalized blades ready to be engraved. Our collection of VIP groundbreaking shovels offers upgraded finishes, velvet-wrapped handles, and presentation boxes. And to display them before the event, we provide elegant shovel display stands designed to hold each shovel upright, allowing photographs and guests to admire the instruments of transformation. The décor extends to event carpets that set the tone for the ceremony, alongside wide-span “decoration ribbons” and grand opening ribbons—available from 1.5″ to 12″ extra-wide widths—custom printed for your event. Also included in our catalog are branded tablecloths and chair covers, military flags and medals, embroidered logo clothing, stanchions and rope for guest guidance, and wedding or birthday ribbon decorations with full branding possibilities.
Reflecting on the Tacoma Hotel’s beginning reminds us how architecture, commerce, and ceremony intertwined in the city’s rise. Though the building tragically burned down in 1935, its legacy remains. By staging a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony today with our curated selection of premium groundbreaking shovels, VIP groundbreaking shovels, shovel display stands, and tailored event carpets, we connect the past to the present and invite new projects to follow in that tradition of ambition and ceremony.
To ensure your next major construction moment reflects that same dignity, we invite you to visit CeremonialSupplies.com online chat or click here for a quote—and let us help you craft a ceremony worthy of history.