A historic photo of Cowlitz Street with the Vault building on the right side.
A historic photo of Cowlitz Street with the Vault building on the right side.
A historic photo of Cowlitz Street with the Vault building on the right side.
The Vault as a bank in the year 1914.
The Vault building when it was still a bank. https://www.washingtonhistory.org/collections/item.aspx?irn=128296&record=1
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The building that Vault Books & Brew is inside was originally built in the 1910’s and has remained a central point of Castle Rock.   A bank downstairs on the corner,  next to the located barber, hardware store.   Upstairs was located the town doctors, lawyers, and other civic functions.

20 Cowlitz Street is the corner downstairs office and was originally a branch of the Cowlitz Bank, the bank opened in approximately 1912.  Financial institutions populated this corner unit until 1999.

 

A photo of the renovations done to the Vault building.
A photo of the renovations done to the Vault building.
A photo of the renovations done to the Vault building.
A photo of the renovations done to the Vault building.
A photo of the renovations done to the Vault building.
A photo of the renovations done to the Vault door.
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From 2000 on several small business have rented this once financial space and then in 2016, Jennifer and Brian Engkraf began the latest transformation.

Jennifer Engkraf said she and her husband, Brian, began leasing the building in February 2016 and have invested between $15,000 and $20,000 in renovations.

They’ve maintained some of the original details, including the crown molding and safe deposit vault. The vault’s immense silver-and-gold door adds a decorative touch to the 1,600-square-foot space.

The interior of Vault Books and Brew.
The fireplace at Vault Books and Brew.
The counter seating at Vauit Books and Brew.
Bookshelves featuring the many books sold at the Vault.
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Though the outbreak of COVID 19 has significantly changed the interior of Vault Books and Brew, the welcoming nature and great service is still the same.

Browse through over 5,000 new and used books on our handmade shelves, shop for gift items made right here in Castle Rock and drink fresh, locally roasted espresso.

While our playroom remains closed until further notice, you can still see the 100 year old vault doors and imagine the history of this beautiful building.