Historic Alderton School demolition: How the story has unfolded

The News Tribune has been reporting on the demolition of the 111-year-old Alderton School, a historic Pierce County landmark partially torn down after a permit was issued in error.

Here’s a compilation from recently published stories to help you catch up on what’s happening.

• The school and adjacent gymnasium were built in 1915 and have been listed on the Pierce County Register of Historic Places since 1986, the Washington Heritage Register since 1987 and the National Register of Historic Places since 1987.
• Crews began tearing down the 111-year-old school house after Pierce County’s Planning & Public Works department issued a demolition permit in March 2026 for the property at 9512 state Route 162.
• More than half the school had already been demolished before a stop work order was posted at the site May 19, after county staff realized the building was on the historic register.
• Alumni who attended the school in the 1950s shared memories of hardwood floors and coal heating. Some acknowledged that the building had become dilapidated.
• Pierce County lifted the stop work order on the school building on May 22, citing an immediate health and safety risk, and said demolition was expected to proceed this week.
• The gymnasium remains standing and under the stop work order, and will go through a full Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission review in June.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.