Photo by Derrick Louie of Clarity NW Photography The Rust Mansion on North I Street in Tacoma always has held the attention of passersby. But in recent months, the massive 118-year-old dwelling has had all eyes upon it as a major construction project sought to restore the home to its original glory. For the uninitiated, the historic residence — often referred to as “the White House of the West” — originally was designed for William Ross Rust and his family by architect Ambrose J. Russell from the Tacoma-based firm Russell and Babcock. Rust ran the American Smelting and Refining Co. in its heyday, and it is for him that the…