Oldest Commercial Building in Sultan

Built in 1892 during Sultan’s early mining and lumber boom, this historic Main Street building remains one of the oldest surviving structures in town. When early settler John Nailor arrived near the Native American fishing village along the Sultan River, he recognized the area’s potential for both mining and timber industries, helping shape the rapid development of Sultan during the late nineteenth century.

Originally operating as a saloon with upstairs apartments, the building was later moved to its current location and expanded by Wagner in 1896. Over the years, it served many purposes including a mercantile, general store, and meat market. Wagner’s additions included covered walkways and connected storefront passages designed to keep shoppers out of the rain and mud, creating an early version of a shopping complex along Main Street.

Today, the building houses Kiss the Sky Books and the Flat Iron Gallery, continuing its role as a community gathering place through books, coffee, art, and live music. During restoration work, owner Jim Tinney uncovered layers of the building’s colorful history including stagecoach schedules, a five-dollar gold coin, rough-sawn cedar walls hidden beneath plaster, evidence of secret passageways, and original flooring marked by the corked boots once worn by loggers. More than a century after its construction, the building continues to reflect the evolving story of Sultan and the people who shaped it.