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Nomination Process & Criteria

Every year, many historic properties across the state of Washington are threatened by demolition or neglect.

The following properties, nominated by concerned citizens and organizations throughout Washington, form the Trust’s Most Endangered Historic Properties List for 2007. In addition, unfortunately seventeen sites from our past lists are still threatened and remain on our Watch List.

The Washington Trust will be assisting those involved with each property to develop support to remove the threat.

2007 Most Endangered Historic Properties List

John A. Finch Boy Scout Lodge – Diamond Lake, Pend Oreille Co.

In 1920, the Boy Scouts of America established Camp Cowles overlooking Diamond Lake on 80 prime waterfront acres donated by William Cowles, publisher of Spokane’s daily newspaper, The Spokesman-Review. Three years later, Spokane mining magnate John A. Finch provided funding for construction of the lodge to serve as a dining hall and camp headquarters. Noted architect Julius Zittel from the Spokane firm of Zittel & Preusse drew up the plans, employing a rustic Craftsman design appropriate to the lodge’s role as a center for Scouting activities. The lodge’s rustic style is unique among Zittel’s work that includes buildings on the campuses of Eastern Washington University and Gonzaga University, Idaho’s Kootenai County Courthouse and several Spokane churches.

Although the substantial building has witnessed some alterations over the years, the lodge retains its original massing and form, and much of the interior remains intact. This includes a balcony with a Gothic-styled wooden railing running around the upper story of the main hall and a massive stone fireplace standing at each end. The Inland Northwest Council still uses the lodge, the oldest known architect-designed Boy Scout Lodge west of the Mississippi, and makes it available to the public for rental for weddings, celebrations, and community events of all stripes.

The Threat:  Known today as Finch Lodge, the 1923 structure has served Scouts for nearly 85 years, but this status may soon change. In the fall of 2006, the Inland Northwest Council announced its decision to proceed with plans that call for demolishing the historic lodge in order to build a new, larger structure in its place. While the proposed building will incorporate certain elements from the historic Finch Lodge as part of the new construction slated for 2008, the overall effect of the project will be the loss of a structure deemed eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural and historical significance.

Months earlier, a local group of concerned citizens had formed to advocate for the lodge’s preservation after hearing of the Council’s plans for its demolition. The Save Finch Lodge Group had encouraged the Council to reconsider their proposal to demolish the lodge though a letter writing campaign and a website, www.savefinchlodge.com. Although that proved to be unsuccessful, the group continues to push for an alternative that will save the lodge. With the amount of open space available at Camp Cowles, it is hoped that the Council will reconsider their present course of action, opting for a program that would rehabilitate the historic lodge while adding new construction to meet the area’s anticipated future Scouting needs.

Read the Press Release
(Additional Photos)

Fleischmann’s Yeast Plant – Sumner, Pierce County

Designed by noted Seattle architect John Graham Sr. and constructed in 1912 by contractor Aldrich and Hunt, the Fleischmann’s Yeast Plant remains standing in Sumner as the first yeast plant built in the Northwest. Graham designed many significant commercial buildings in the early 20th century, including the Fredrick & Nelson Building, the Bon Marché, the Dexter Horton Building and the Exchange Building. The Fleischmann's Plant is a fine example of Graham’s industrial designs that include a number of automobile assembly plants while serving as supervising architect for the Ford Motor Company in the 1910s.

The Fleischmann’s Plant, which became part of Standard Brands in 1929, brought yeast-making to the Northwest and was an important industry for the town of Sumner and the yeast dependant industries in Washington. Before its closure in 1994, the plant supplied 90% of the Puget Sound region’s large bread makers and employed several hundred people through the years. Fleischmann’s kept its doors open for over 80 years, making it the longest lasting industry in Sumner. A Mr. Rauschenberg, plant manager when the facility closed, stated that the facility was the last original Fleischmann’s Yeast Plant in the United States.

The Threat:  The current owner proposes to demolish all the buildings with the intent of placing a chemical tank farm at the site. The City of Sumner has required that an Environmental Impact Statement be conducted. A section pertaining to the historic structures and possible mitigation measures will be part of this study, but without a preservation ordinance, the city does not hold any regulatory authority over the preservation of the historic complex. Concerned community members would like to see a mixed use development on the site integrating the historic structures with new construction. Such a program of commercial and residential uses would be in keeping with the City of Sumner’s own long-term vision as the area grapples with housing needs.

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(Additional Photos)

Fowler House – Port Townsend, Jefferson County

Port Townsend’s uptown residential district demonstrates much of the Victorian sensibility of the commercial district it overlooks. The Fowler House, however, predates much of the late nineteenth century construction and stands as a rare example of Civil War-era building in the state. Captain Enoch S. Fowler built this simple two-story Greek Revival dwelling in 1864 on the bluff overlooking Port Townsend Bay in a manner familiar to him as a native of Maine. After a life at sea, Captain Fowler retired in 1857 and joined other new residents of Port Townsend in developing the recently established community. This included building one of the first docks on the bay, serving in city government, constructing commercial and residential properties and operating a variety of wholesale and retail businesses. Although Captain Fowler died in 1876, his family retained ownership of the residence through the first two decades of the 20th century. During the 1930s, the Fowler House was documented as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey in recognition of its architectural and historic significance. Although deteriorated, it has largely retained its original configuration with few alterations. According to the Jefferson County Historical Society, the Fowler House is the oldest residential dwelling existing in Port Townsend and one of the oldest private homes in the state.

The Threat:  A rental property for some two decades, the Fowler House is currently for sale by its out of state owners who no longer wish to address its extensive maintenance needs. The local community is concerned by the fact that the historic home occupies a property comprised of three lots, and its footprint overlaps two of those three. Interested buyers have inquired about moving or demolishing the structure in order to capitalize on the three lots, which enjoy stunning water views. Although situated in a local historic district, the Fowler House is not protected by the city’s strong preservation ordinance. The city’s Historic Preservation Committee has no jurisdiction over residences, and the demolition ordinance only applies to commercial buildings. A new buyer could potentially demolish the historic house to make way for new construction. In addition, the community is concerned about the deteriorated condition of the historic structure and fear that it will soon be beyond the point that it can be rehabilitated unless a sympathetic buyer can be found. Not wanting to lose the oldest house in the city, the community hopes a sympathetic buyer interested in restoring the historic Fowler House will step forward.

Read the Press Release
(Additional Photos)

Hastings Building, Port Townsend, Jefferson County

Port Townsend’s downtown commercial center boasts one of the state’s finest collections of late nineteenth century commercial structures, comprising a historic district recognized as a National Historic Landmark. Located at the corner of Water and Taylor Streets, the Hastings Building serves as the anchor to the city’s historic downtown. Constructed in 1889 and named for Captain L.B Hastings, the Hastings Building is the most elegant commercial structure in Port Townsend, and its architectural details and ornamentation illustrate the flamboyance and optimism of the 1890s. Originally designed to be an office building with ground floor retail, the three-story Italianate structure cost some $45,000 to erect, by far the most expensive commercial building in Port Townsend in an era of booming prosperity. Over the years, the storefronts have housed a number of long-term tenants, including a saloon, a shoe store, a hardware store, and several jewelry stores. With its imposing façade and corner tower, the Hastings Building is one of the primary anchors of Port Townsend’s historic commercial district.

The Threat:  The descendants of Captain Hastings continue to own the historic building but lease only the ground floor storefronts to retail tenants. The upper floor offices remained occupied from the 1890s until the 1930s when tenants moved out due to the economic hardships of the Depression. Although briefly converted to apartments during the Second World War, the upper floors have been largely vacant and unused since that time, a situation common in many historic buildings around the state.

The owners are committed to preserving this symbol of Victorian architectural tastes but face burdensome rehabilitation costs. If a program that works for the family, the building and Port Townsend’s commercial core cannot be found, economic realities may force the owners to consider other options. While the city’s demolition ordinance does apply to this structure, a case of financial hardship could be made. The owners support this nomination and seek a solution that will allow for the restoration and full occupancy of the Hastings Building.

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(Additional Photos)

McReavy House – Union, Mason County

Constructed in 1890, the McReavy House, a Victorian mansion located on the hill in the center of Union, is believed to be one of the earliest extant houses on Hood Canal. John McReavy prospered as the principal lumberman on Hood Canal from 1870 to 1893, served in the Territorial Legislature and signed the document declaring Washington’s statehood. McReavy played a key role in the development of Union City, as it was known in the early 1890s, and was engaged in the construction of the hotel, wharf, sawmill, store, Masonic Lodge and church. However, McReavy’s financial success ended with the panic of 1893, leaving him only his house. The area later rebounded with the development of the resort business on Hood Canal in the early decades of the 20th century and the establishment of Orre Nobles’ Olympus Manor artist colony in the 1920s. After McReavy’s death in 1918, his daughter, Nell, remained in the house for more than fifty years, and his descendants continue to own the property.

The Threat:  Although many of its original features remain intact, the McReavy House has suffered from abandonment and neglect in addition to years of deferred maintenance and several unsympathetic alterations, requiring extensive rehabilitation to restore it to its former prominence. In addition, the site’s potential for development threatens the historic residence as it contains six buildable lots with stunning views of the Olympic Mountains and Hood Canal. If the McReavy House is not preserved, the lots will be marketed for sale.

In hopes of saving the house from ultimately being lost, several local community members have formed the McReavy House Museum of Hood Canal Foundation. Their mission is to preserve the house by operating an arts and cultural center that will interpret the history and development of Hood Canal and offer space for local artists to showcase their work, honoring the tradition set forth by the artist’s colony at nearby Olympus Manor. Moved by these efforts, the present owners of McReavy House intend to donate the property to the foundation along with the original library and furniture. Despite this generous gift, much work remains in order to secure and preserve the house into the future.

Read the Press Release
(Additional Photos)

Downtown Mount Vernon, Skagit County

Located in the heart of Skagit Valley, Mount Vernon is a charming community with a rich collection of historic resources. These resources include a downtown that boasts an intact streetscape of historic commercial buildings and fraternal orders that provide the city with a truly unique sense of place. This downtown core offers the National Register-listed Lincoln Theater, a historic square symbolic of the city’s origins featuring intact examples of false-front architecture, and commercial buildings decorated with ornate terra cotta. Several dining options and a variety of retail and service enterprises cater to residents and visitors alike, making it a popular tourist destination.

The Threat:  Given Mount Vernon’s location immediately adjacent to the Skagit River, downtown unfortunately sits within the 100-year flood plain. The City has initiated a Master Planning process with the goal of removing the flood prone historic area by building up the revetment along the riverfront. The plan, however, calls for the demolition of at least 11 buildings that are 50 years old or more situated along Main Street next to the river. The City has been engaged in purchasing these properties, including at least one structure identified as eligible for listing in the National Register.

Local residents and shop owners are concerned that the flood protection proposal may have unintended consequences negatively affecting the historic downtown core. A construction project of this scope combined with the eventual redevelopment of Main Street will certainly impact the established businesses and buildings in the area immediately surrounding Main Street. The community would like to see the City of Mount Vernon take a more proactive and broader approach in determining how the flood protection plan will affect the historic infrastructure of downtown. Survey of historic buildings should not be limited only to those slated for demolition under the current proposal, but should include all of the historic city center in an attempt to systematically document the built environment that gives Mount Vernon its distinctive sense of place.

Read the Press Release
(Additional Photos)

Seventh Church of Christ Scientist – Seattle, King County

The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation is thrilled to report that the Seventh Church of Christ, Scientist is no longer threatened with demolition. The congregation recently announced that it has sold the historic sanctuary to the Seattle Church of Christ, who plan to make it their first permanent home after relying on rental locations since their founding in 1989.

Completed in 1926 and designed by prominent Seattle architect Harlan Thomas, Queen Anne Hill’s Seventh Church is a rare example of Neo-Byzantine architecture in the state.  Harlan Thomas is well known for his treatment of historical styles in the well-executed designs produced on his own and in partnership with others during a Seattle career that lasted for more than forty years. These include the Sorrento Hotel, the Corner Market Building, the Queen Anne and Douglass-Truth Libraries, and Harborview Hospital as well as schools in Aberdeen, Monroe, and Enumclaw, World War II housing in Bremerton, and private homes in various Western Washington locations. An active member of the local American Institute of Architects chapter, Thomas also served as a faculty member with the University of Washington’s architecture department and as department chair from 1926 to 1940.

Despite the architectural and historical significance of the sanctuary, decreasing membership and costly maintenance needs forced the congregation to sell the land under which their historic building sits after being unable to find a buyer who would retain the building.  The congregation applied for a demolition permit to raze the structure and had agreed to sell the parcel to a local developer who intended to build four single-family homes on the site. Because a 1996 Washington State Supreme Court ruling exempts religious organizations from local landmark ordinances, the congregation was not subject to the laws passed to protect Seattle’s historic properties.  Not wishing to see such a unique example of ecclesiastical architecture destroyed, residents of Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood mounted a campaign to save the historic sanctuary despite the few avenues for advocacy that remained. This included a successful appeal of the demolition permit that provided some much needed time to search for a win-win solution for all involved.

The Washington Trust listed the Seventh Church of Christ, Scientist on its 2007 Most Endangered Historic Properties List and held a May press conference to announce the list in front of the sanctuary.  With the listing, it was hoped that the congregation would consider alternative options and that a buyer interested in preserving the church would step forward.  Over the course of the summer, the Washington Trust worked with Queen Anne community members to find a buyer and secured the services of a structural engineer, Todd Perbix of Perbix Bykonen, who completed a pro bono assessment of the church’s structural integrity.  The intent was to enable prospective buyers to make an informed decision about purchasing the property.

This concerted effort to save the sanctuary resulted in the successful sale of the property to the Seattle Church of Christ in late August.  In order to facilitate the deal, developer David Fletcher kept his word and walked away from the project when a buyer interested in saving the church was found.  The Washington Trust congratulates the congregation for their patience and long-term commitment to the church in the face of seemingly daunting prospects for their historic sanctuary’s preservation.  In the end, the words of King County Council Member Dow Constantine, who spoke at the press conference, rang true, “What is required is patience, goodwill and caring, and the application of sustained effort in order to turn these situations into wins for the entire community.”

Read the Press Release
(Additional Photos)

Teapot Dome Gas Station – Zillah, Yakima County

In 1922, illegal oil leases in Wyoming and Elk Hills, California resulted in the indictment of the Secretary of the Interior and left President Warren Harding’s administration tarnished by scandal. The scandal in turn prompted a Yakima County man, Jack Ainsworth, to handcraft a piece of roadside political commentary that remains standing today along Interstate 82 near Zillah. Fashioned after a teapot, the shingled kettle features a sheet metal handle and spout and served as a gas station for many decades since opening in 1922.

The Threat:  Having ceased service as a fuel stop several years ago, the owner is looking at alternative uses for the property. Recognizing the political and historical significance of the Teapot Dome gas station, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the City of Zillah has stepped in, offering to purchase the roadside icon for relocation to the city center. The city hopes to rehabilitate the structure and incorporate it into plans for a new visitor center. In an agreement with the owner, the City has until the end of 2007 to secure funding to purchase the structure and to pay for sorely needed repairs and moving expenses. A variety of fundraising efforts are presently underway, and city officials are seeking out grant opportunities to assist in the campaign to save this much loved larger-than-life teapot.

Update: In their efforts to preserve this historic resource, the City of Zillah has formed the Friends of the Teapot. This group has applied for 501(c)3 status as a nonprofit organization, and they expect to achieve this in the upcoming months. In the meantime, the City has opened an account with the local branch of Key Bank in Zillah, with funds earmarked for the preservation of the Teapot.

If you are interested in donating to this account, you may contact Key Bank directly at 509-829-5200. If you mention the “Teapot Dome Gas Station Account,” they will direct you accordingly. You can also send a donation to the City of Zillah, and they will then deposit it directly to the Key Bank account. The City contact is Ardele Steele, who is with the planning department. She can be reached at 509-829-5151 or via email at planning-zillahcity@earthlink.net.

Currently, donations made to the Key Bank account are not tax-deductible. Once the Friends of the Teapot is established as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, however, contributions made to them for the purpose of preserving the Teapot Dome Gas Station will be tax deductible.

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(Additional Photos)

Waldo Hospital – Seattle, King County

Located on over an acre and a half immediately adjacent to the reservoir in Seattle’s Maple Leaf neighborhood, the Waldo Hospital stands as a testament to the advancement and acceptance of the practice of osteopathic medicine. Having practiced for over a decade as an osteopath in Seattle, Dr. William E. Waldo sought to establish a hospital dedicated wholly to administering and treating patients according to the tenets of osteopathy. Completed in 1924, the original building sat just outside city limits, as discriminatory zoning practices and negative sentiment from the mainstream medical community worked to prohibit an osteopathic facility from being constructed in Seattle.

Designed in a spare Georgian Revival Style by Seattle architect Paul Richardson and completed in 1924, the hospital was expanded in 1959 when the architectural firm of NBBJ designed an International Style wing at the northern end of the building to increase patient capacity. Dr. Waldo, a well-known figure locally, served as the president of the American Osteopathic Association from (AOA) 1920-1922, working hard in this role to raise awareness of osteopathy as a medical field. For his efforts, in 1948 Waldo received the AOA’s Distinguished Service Certificate, the organization’s highest national honor. In 1969, after Waldo’s death, the hospital facilities were relocated, and Campfire USA purchased the site.

The Threat:  In 2006, budget constraints compelled Campfire to enter into an agreement with a developer who plans to demolish the structure and remove dozens of the mature fir trees strongly associated with Dr. Waldo’s holistic approach to medicine. Replacing the hospital and grounds is a proposed development of nearly 40 townhouses. The Maple Leaf community has rallied around this neighborhood landmark, gathering over 1500 signatures in support of a redevelopment program that calls for the adaptive use of the hospital and the retention of a large portion of the landscaping. They have also created a website, www.savewaldo.org, to provide a clearinghouse for information.  Despite voting unanimously to nominate the property, the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board voted against designation at its June 20, 2007 meeting, rejecting a staff report that recommended in favor of historic status for Waldo. The Trust will work with the Maple Leaf Community and the developer in an effort to retain significant historic features of the site for implementation into the proposed redevelopment.

Read the Press Release
(Additional Photos)