In 1907, some California speculators, including Major Bowes, who would later gain fame on the “Original Amateur Hour,” searched for the perfect spot near Tacoma, Washington, “a residential park, an enchanting spot to enjoy life and raise a family.” Regents Park, west of Tacoma, was born. Street names recalling the financiers’ home state and affinity for collegiate endeavors keep the legacy of this unique origin. The design of the town is aesthetically pleasing and unique, inviting residents and visitors to walk and explore. Streets and sidewalks curve and bend, allowing for pleasant surprises for pedestrians.
The first store was established nearly one hundred years ago, and the Fircrest Golf Club will celebrate its centennial just a few years from now. Around ninety years ago the three hundred residents of Regents Park incorporated the town as Fircrest. Immediately they began to use their newfound resources to work on the infrastructure and revitalize the community with improved services. The focus during the Depression was on supporting children and families, and the community rose to the occasion with fundraisers and food programs. By the 1960s, Fircrest was ready to take on the responsibility for its Parks and Recreation Program and developed Masko Park along with a public swimming pool. Currently Fircrest rivals larger Washington towns for its dedication to developing and refurbishing recreational facilities.
Fircrest has annexed additional acreage and reformed its government over the years. It has set the standards for both recreation and community-oriented policing. Change is something that is not feared if it adds to the quality of life of those who live here.
Major Bowes and his associates would marvel at the manner in which the City of Fircrest has both honored the original vision of a residential park and transformed the landscape to suit the needs of current and future homeowners and businesses. Just under 7,000 people call this place home, and you can, too. Single family homes range from about $200,000 to $500,000, and there are a few condos and townhomes scattered about as well. Quality of life, quality of play, a one hundred-year-old vision of the future. Fircrest.