Why Buyers Fall in Love With This Timeless Tacoma Neighborhood

Some homes are memorable because of their architecture. Others because of their setting, their gardens or the people who gathered inside them. 405 N Stadium Way has all of those things-but what makes this home especially remarkable is its story. Perched above Tacoma with sweeping views of Puget Sound and Commencement Bay, from Rainier to the Cascade mountains, Thea Foss Waterway and the lights of the city, this is a home that feels distinctly Northwest. Beautiful woodwork, walls of windows, intimate built-in sitting areas and balconies give it the feeling of a sophisticated tree house tucked into the hillside. But this wasn't simply a house designed around a view. It became home to Dr. Eugene and Kathleen “Kathy” Wiegman , two people whose lives became deeply woven into the fabric and history of Tacoma. A Life of Service in Tacoma Gene and Kathy arrived in Tacoma in 1969 when Gene became the ninth president of Pacific Lutheran University . What followed was far more than a professional chapter. Tacoma became their community, and service to that community became an extraordinary part of their lives. During his presidency at PLU, Gene championed education, inclusion and community engagement. He later served as Washington State Commissioner of Employment Security, became an ordained Lutheran pastor and served numerous local congregations. Perhaps one of the Wiegmans' most enduring contributions came from recognizing a fundamental need in Tacoma: access to health care. Gene and Kathy were part of the early community effort that helped establish what became Community Health Care, beginning with services for Tacoma's underserved Eastside and Salishan communities. What started modestly would grow into a major health care resource serving people throughout Pierce County. Their service wasn't limited to boardrooms or institutions. Thanksgiving morning might find Gene and Kathy serving meals at Nativity House. At Christmas, they rang bells for the Salvation Army. Gene served and mentored people throughout Tacoma, while Kathy became known for quietly finding clothing, food and household necessities for anyone who needed them. Kathy was also an original board member of Second City Chamber, supporting chamber music and young musicians for more than four decades. Their commitment to Family Counseling Service was supposed to last six months. Instead, it became ten years of helping stabilize the organization, raise funds and ultimately establish a new counseling center. For the Wiegmans, community service wasn't something added to life. It was simply how they lived. A Home Created for Gathering Knowing their story makes the house itself feel even more meaningful. This is a home filled with places to sit, talk, read, gather and look outward. The main level embraces the extraordinary view with built-in sitting areas, warm woodwork and spaces that invite you to linger. There is a traditional kitchen, a full dining room where countless dinners were shared, and a beautiful sunroom overlooking the gardens. The family remembers large dinner parties here—and a soaring holiday tree becoming the centerpiece of the room. Upstairs, an entire level becomes the owner's retreat, complete with a walk-in closet, private bath with sauna and tub, and a large balcony overlooking the city and water. Downstairs, two additional bedrooms, a full bath and generous laundry and pantry space open through glass doors to the gardens. And those gardens have their own story. Kathy's Garden Sanctuary Kathy was known for her love of plants, and visitors to her garden didn't necessarily leave empty-handed. She happily offered gardening advice and was known to send people home with a transplant or two. Today, established landscaping surrounds the home with rosemary, lavender and changing color throughout the seasons. Combined with the home's natural wood, hillside setting and views through the trees, there is an almost tree-house quality to the property: private and peaceful, yet looking directly out over the city the Wiegmans loved. Art and Architecture The home's artistic origins add another fascinating layer. Its design has been attributed to Ernst Schwidder , a noted Tacoma-area artist and longtime Pacific Lutheran University professor whose work often blurred the line between art, craftsmanship and architecture. Schwidder was especially known for carved wood, religious artwork and architectural elements created for churches and other buildings throughout the Northwest. His connection to PLU and Tacoma during this period makes the home's attribution particularly intriguing. The woodwork, relationship to the landscape, unexpected spaces and intentional framing of the views make this a home unlike anything being built today . A Front-Row Seat to Tacoma And then there is that view. Morning light over the water. Boats moving through the waterfront. Mountains appearing and disappearing with our Northwest weather. The changing colors of sunset. And finally, the lights of Tacoma sparkling below. It is an ever-changing portrait of the city. That feels especially fitting for a home occupied for so many years by two people who didn't simply live in Tacoma—they participated in it. From their perch above the city, Gene and Kathy Wiegman spent decades looking out over a community they helped shape, while opening their doors, their garden and their lives to others. 405 N Stadium Way is certainly a remarkable piece of Tacoma real estate. But more importantly, it has been a remarkable Tacoma home. And now, for the first time in a generation, it is ready for its next story.