L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 10 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016 L'Italo-Americano V is itors to Tacoma's M us eum D is trict are greeted by a mix of his- toric buildings as well as more modern structures, such as the M us eum of G las s and the Tacoma Art Museum. It's likely that mos t people d on't even notice the small red brick build- ing on Pacific Avenue, just steps away from these tourist sites. If only they knew the pivotal role that the P agni & Lenti building, as it is known today, played in the history of Tacoma and its Italian-American commu- nity. Built in 1890 by Tacoma developer Russell T. Joy, the tri- angular-shaped building across the street from Union Station was initially used as a railroad baggage depot. Over the next decade, it became a drug store, sheriff's office, hat shop, bakery and harness shop. In 1903, P ietro P agni, an Italian immigrant from Tuscany, traveled to Tacoma and opened a grocery store with his partner, Lenti (whose first name appears to be lost to history). The Little Country Grocery Store was an old-fas hioned mom-and-pop shop filled with fruits and veg- etables, candy, cigars and tobac- co. Its shelves were lined with canned goods and s pecialty items imported from Italy. There were bins of home-made pasta and containers of meat sauce hand-made by the Pagni family. Bottles of wine were available to cus tomers even during Prohibition, or so the story goes. In the early 1900s, Tacoma was a boom town nicknamed the "City of Destiny." Its growth was fueled by the announcement that the N orthern P acific Railroad would extend its line to meet ocean-going vessels that docked at the Port of Tacoma. When that news became public, the town's population soared. Manufacturing, trade and hous- ing markets exploded. In 1906, the architectural firm of Reed and Stem began design- ing a new train station that was more befitting Tacoma's image as a prosperous metropolis and soon-to-become railway termi- nus of the N orthw es t. Construction of Union Station began in 1909 and was complet- ed two years later. Today, the decorative Beaux-Arts building with its copper dome houses a U.S. District Courthouse. Given its proximity to the train station, the Little Country Grocery Store was often the first place to welcome Italian immi- grants newly arrived in town. Weary, disoriented, surrounded by strangers and a strange lan- guage, the newcomers would stop in at the grocery store, ask directions, seek recommenda- tions for cheap but safe accom- modations, and inquire about jobs. For some 30 years, it was a social hub and gathering place for Tacoma's Italian-American community. Lenti was not a business part- ner for long. Soon, the name of the store was changed to Pagni & Sons, reflecting the Pagni family's sole ownership. Pietro Pagni worked there until his death in 1931. Family members kept the business going until about 1940. Today, the well-groomed, brightly lit neighborhood is brimming w ith boutiques , restaurants and coffee shops. Scores of young people go to and from clas s es at the U nivers ity of Was hington Tacoma, while residents and tourists alike frequent the nearby museums and government build- ings. RITA CIPALLA It's hard to believe that some 40 years ago, during the 1970s and 1980s, the area was home to cheap bars and card rooms, dark parking garages and derelict buildings. The last passenger train left Union Station in 1984, and the rail station had become so rundown that Union Pacific sold it to the City of Tacoma for one dollar. When the University of Washington proposed opening a branch campus nearby, many thought the idea was preposter- ous. But university officials saw it as a golden opportunity, and they began to buy and renovate the empty warehouses that lined Pacific Avenue. Once the univer- sity moved in, private businesses followed. Between 1990 and 2003, roughly $1.5 billion in public and private money was invested in downtown Tacoma. The U nivers ity of Washington purchased the trian- gular building with its rich histo- ry and renamed it the Pagni & Lenti building to honor the origi- nal Italian storekeepers. Oddly enough, more recent occupants of the building had their own Italian-American ties. Grassi's Garden Café was installed there for many years, and two years ago, Elemental Pizza moved in. Today, diners at Elemental P izza enjoy the building's exposed red brick walls, curved staircase leading to a second- floor seating area and wood-fire pizza oven. Just inside the front door, prominently displayed, is an undated black-and-w hite photo taken outside the building. J udging from the s tyle of dress, the photograph was taken in the early 1900s. Five men, all wearing hats, are lined up on the sidewalk. Two appear to be pro- fessionals, dressed in business suits, and two are clearly labor- ers. The fifth figure, most likely Pietro Pagni, has a bushy mus- tache and w ears a butcher's apron with a wildly patterned sweater thrown over it. S truck by the building's unique provenance, the current owners of Elemental Pizza want- ed to learn more about the store's history and former occupants. Res taurateur and co-ow ner James Allard met with members of the Pagni family who shared family photos and stories with him. In a final salute to the original tenants of long ago, Elemental Pizza now serves a Pagni Pie. The pizza is topped with pro- sciutto, coppa, fresh mozzarella and basil on a tomato base—a fitting tribute to the grocery store owners of a century ago. Tacoma's Little Country Grocery Store was a hub for Italian immigrants Visitors to Tacoma's Elemental Pizza can enjoy a Pagni Pie, created to honor the original occupants of the 125-year-old red brick building The Little Country Grocery Store, which opened in Tacoma in the early 1900s, helped newly arrived Italian immigrants feel welcome in the Pacific Northwest SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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