Ryan House

The Ryan House is a historic building in Sumner, Washington, United States that is now used as a museum.

The house was built by Fred Seaman as a one-room cabin. In 1872, George Ryan bought the property. He added onto the house in 1875 and 1885.

In 1926, Ryan's family donated the property to the town of Sumner for use as the Sumner Public Library. The building housed the library from 1926 to 1979, and now houses the Sumner Historical Society, which operates the house as the Ryan House Museum.

The Ryan House was home to the Sumner Historical Society for several years, but neglect to the upkeep on the house by the City of Sumner has led to issues.

While plans were made to accomplish a renovation, an outside renovation firm was hired, and determined in their report that it was not suitable for renovation, or that the proposed renovation would cost over $2 million.

On September 18, 2023, the Sumner City Council voted to demolish the Ryan House, and put a park in its place, without significant input from the local community.

Negotiations are ongoing to prevent the destruction. A local group, "Save the Ryan House" has been formed by a group of citizens. In March 2024, a Pierce County Superior Court judge ruled against the city, finding that sufficient notice was not given to the public to move forward with the demolition and that it could not proceed.