05/01/2026
In 2006, Pullman’s mayor Glenn Johnson proclaimed May 1 as Loretta Anawalt Day in perpetuity. Anawalt House, named after Bruce and Loretta Anawalt, was listed to the Pullman Register of Historic Places in 2016. Robert Franklin prepared the nomination on behalf of the College Hill Association.
In 1984, Lorretta Anawalt was a founding board member and co-incorporator of Pullman Civic Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preservation, restoration, and enhancement of the natural and built environment of Pullman and the Palouse area. Working with Pullman Civic Trust, Loretta and Bruce were influential in community improvements such as the Civic Trust Riverpark, Downtown Riverwalk, Pine Steet Plaza, and the Bill Chipman Trail.
Bruce taught in WSU’s English department from 1960 to 1992 and held several campus-wide roles including a stint as the first university ombudsman in the early 1970s. Loretta taught undergraduate writing and literature courses but eventually left teaching to pursue her own writing interests. The literary couple participated in several Merchant Ivory films, and they even have a few credits on IMDB.com.
Anawalt House is a bungalow with Prairie Style design elements such as a hipped roof, broad overhanging eaves, and windows grouped in horizontal bands. Built around 1923 by developer Wallace A. Moss, the home was rented by a succession of WSC faculty members. Later, Norman Moss, son of Wallace, and spouse Amanda occupied the home until it was purchased by the Anawalts in 1965.
In 1967, artist Don Anawalt – the brother of Bruce taught ceramics and architecture at WSU – designed and built a dining room addition intended to complement the home’s original character. Distinctive features of the addition include inverted catenary arches that mimic kiln openings and a ribbon of five casement windows.
