DES preserves historic state seal in preparation for General Administration Building demolition
The state seal of President George Washington has been an iconic symbol of the General Administration Building since its installation in 1956, when the building was constructed.
DES oversaw the removal by the project's contractor, Active Construction Inc., of Tacoma, in mid-April.
In 2025, the state Legislature provided funding for DES to demolish the building and surround the vacant site with a temporary fence. The Legislature has not yet identified a future use for the site. The building has stood empty since 2018.
Working from a platform four stories above the ground, the crew photographed and tagged each of the seal's 42 parts. They then removed the parts from the sandstone facade, using a hoist to stabilize its heaviest element, the bronze bust of Washington at the center.
Before packing the seal's pieces for storage, each piece was photographed and numbered so it can be reconstructed faithfully in another setting. It will be is preserved in a sheltered storage area until a future use is identified.
The seal was designed by Jerald Reames and the only adornment on the building, which was the first building on Capitol Campus to embrace the spare, modernist aesthetics of midcentury International Style. It is about 11 feet in diameter and weighs over 500 pounds. It consists of 33 individual letters and numbers, and two perimeter rings.