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Your Voice in Olympia and Washington DC...
The Washington Trust advocates
for laws and public policies which preserve Washington’s
historic resources. We:
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assist lawmakers in drafting
preservation-related legislation;
c
advocate for passage of
preservation-related State and Federal bills;
c
maintain a presence, testify
before legislative committees, and track legislation in
Olympia during each session of the State Legislature;
c
provide Washington Trust
members with information about national preservation and
policy issues, and;
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coordinate and provide
travel scholarship assistance for Washington
preservationists to participate in National Lobby Day
sponsored annually by Preservation Action.
State Advocacy
Federal
Advocacy
Increasing
public awareness of Washington’s historic resources and the need to
protect them...
Conferences &
Workshops
Our bi-annual statewide preservation conferences
and regular special topic workshops sponsored by the Washington
Trust provide local preservationists, property owners, and
community groups with tools to protect their irreplaceable
architectural heritage.
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See
Coming
Up
for
upcoming special topic workshops, training opportunities, and events of interest.
c
National
Preservation Conference --
2008
National Preservation Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma,
October 21-25, 2008 sponsored by the National
Trust for Historic Preservation. For more
information, visit the
website.
Most
Endangered Historic Properties Program
Our
Most
Endangered Historic Properties List
annually highlights threats to some of our state’s most
significant resources and initiates technical assistance by the
Washington Trust to actively work with local individuals and
organizations to save these threatened sites.
Newsletter &
Publications
Our quarterly newsletter for
Washington Trust members,
Trust News,
covers news about timely historic preservation issues, resources,
interesting historic places to visit and successful preservation
around Washington State. Our
2006
Annual Report
(PDF
File)
highlights the recent work
accomplished by the Washington Trust. Past Annual Reports are
also available from
2003,
2004
and
2005
(PDF
Files).
Copies of the
following Washington Trust publications are available for the cost
of postage only while supplies last by contacting our office at
206-624-9449
or
info@wa-trust.org:
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Washington’s
Historic Neighborhood Schools: Status 2002
(available in CD or hard copy)
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Emerging Issues in Local
Preservation Law - Notebook from April, 2004 roundtable &
workshop focusing on demolition provisions in local preservation
ordinances
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Back
issues of Trust News, the Washington Trust’s
quarterly newsletter.
c
Washington's 2007 Historic
Preservation Week poster -- produced & co-sponsored by
Washington's Office of Archaeology & Historic Preservation.
View Poster
(PDF File).
For more historic preservation
publications, visit the National Trust's
Preservation Books catalog.
Special Events & Tours
Each year the
Washington Trust hosts special events around the state of
Washington,
monthly
tours
of
our Stimson-Green Mansion, and an annual Holiday Open House as
a benefit of membership. Past events have included Tea &
Tours, auctions, and receptions around the state where members and
friends meet and celebrate successes in historic preservation.
Working
With our Preservation Partners...
Preserving historic landmarks
requires renovation skills, commitment, enthusiasm, tenacity, and
money. The Washington Trust provides local advocacy assistance
in collaboration with individuals, groups, organizations and
municipalities across Washington who are seeking help and leadership
to preserve their heritage.
Financial Assistance
 The
Washington Trust's
Valerie
Sivinski Washington Preserves Fund
is an annual grant program that provides up to $2,000 to
organizations around Washington for “brick and mortar” funds to
rehabilitate historic properties, professional architectural and
engineering feasibility studies, publishing materials that promote
local historic preservation, or sponsor local educational programs.
Priority is given to projects based on need. The application
deadline is February 15 each year.
We can also provide leads to other types of funding
for preservation projects from additional
sources, depending on a project’s scope. For information on
funding from other organizations and agencies as well as and
economic incentives for historic rehabilitation, see our
Resources page.
Technical Assistance
The Washington Trust provides
technical assistance to individuals and communities around the
state. Trust staff and board help Washingtonians who need
advice about :
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how to save endangered properties
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form a local non
profit preservation group;
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pass or improve local ordinances to
promote preservation and
integrate preservation into local planning;
c
raise
local public awareness about a preservation issue.
The
imposing brick and stucco half-timbered First Hill mansion is a
designated City of Seattle landmark and is listed on both the
Washington State Register and the National Register of Historic
Places. This 10,000 square-foot home was commissioned by
lumberman and real estate developer Charles D. Stimson and his wife
Harriet as their primary residence. For the next 14 years the
Stimsons and their extended family lived their lives in Cutter's
rich mixture of Classical, Romanesque, Moorish, Gothic, and
Renaissance styled rooms.
 When the
Stimsons were ready to move their household north of town, C.D.
Stimson traded his First Hill property for John and Abbie Frink's
Fifth Avenue and Pike Street parcel - site of the future Coliseum
Theater. The Frinks, due to ill health, never occupied the home,
selling it instead to businessman and banker Joshua Green and his
wife Laura, often called "Missy." Several generations of Greens made
the mansion their home for 61 years.
Upon
Joshua Green's death at the age of 105, the house was purchased and
rescued from demolition by Historic Seattle in 1975. Working with
Historic Seattle, the city's Landmarks Preservation Board guaranteed
preservation of the mansion's exterior and significant interior
spaces. The next decade saw several different owners, culminating in
the purchase in 1986 by the Stimson's granddaughter, Priscilla
(Patsy) Bullitt Collins. She developed the Stimson-Green Mansion
Catering Company and undertook the considerable task of repairing
and restoring her family's home to its original elegance.
Fully
restored and functioning as one of Seattle's favorite entertaining
venues, Mrs. Collins donated the Stimson-Green mansion to the
Washington Trust for Historic Preservation in September 2001. The
Trust has our headquarters in the mansion and continues to operate
it as a special event center.
Look
inside the mansion
or visit us during our
monthly
public tours.
BOARD MEMBERS
The
Washington Trust is governed by its Board of Directors, an active
and involved group representing many professions, diverse interests
in the field of historic preservation and all parts of our state.
The board has quarterly meetings. The Executive Committee,
consisting of officers and at-large members, meets monthly.
Board of
Directors
President
Timothy Bishop
(Ellensburg)
Vice-President
Joseph B. Finnie
(Port Townsend)
Secretary
Janet Rogerson
(Shelton)
Treasurer
Sondra
Purcell (Tacoma)
Tom Bassett
(Wenatchee)
Sara-Jane Bellanca (Seattle)
Derek Chisholm
(Vancouver)
Michael Flannery (Spokane)
Kathryn Franks (Bellingham)
Jerri Honeyford (Sunnyside)
Sen. Ken Jacobsen (Seattle)
Michael Jenkins (Seattle)
Marygrace Jennings (Olympia)
David Johnston (Bellingham)
Robert Mack (Tacoma)
Paul Mann (Spokane)
Reuben McKnight (Seattle)
Joanne Moyer (Spokane)
Faye Rainwater (Dayton)
Joan Murray Simpson (Chelan)
Michael
Sullivan (Tacoma)
Susan White
(Redondo)
Ginger Wilcox (Seattle)
COMMITTEES
Board of Directors
members and other community members serve on many of the Washington
Trust’s committees which include:
Development Committee
Working closely with staff and Board of Directors, identifies,
cultivates, and coordinates solicitation of board and major donors.
Insures that board is given training and assistance needed to
solicit donors.
Education Committee
Assesses community needs and, with staff, develops public education
and heritage education programs, including workshops, conferences,
and special programs. Develops opportunities to use
Stimson-Green Mansion for public and school education. Assists
in public education tools such as newsletter and website.
Executive Committee
Consists of Board officers (President, Vice-President, Secretary,
Treasurer), Past President, and two at-large members. With
input from committee chairs and staff, sets board agenda, oversees
general administration of organization and conducts official board
business as necessary between board meetings. Oversees board
orientation and board development. Serves as Washington
Trust’s Personnel Committee.
Finance Committee
Responsible for overall direction and control of Washington Trust
finances. With executive director, coordinates preparation and
monitoring of annual budget; annually reviews sources of funding;
oversees and reports results of annual audit to board; recommends to
the board investment of funds and reports on condition of such
investments to board; and assists executive director in insuring
that efficient, cost-effective financial management systems with
proper controls are in place.
Preservation Committee
With Executive Director, oversees Washington Trust intervention on
preservation issues and provides technical assistance statewide.
Serves as Washington Preserves Grant committee. Maintains
Washington Trust’s Most Endangered Historic Properties
List and
Trust intervention to listed sites. Helps determine Washington
Trust response on critical preservation issues.
Public Policy & Advocacy Committee
With Executive Director, determines and carries out Washington
Trust’s state and federal public policy agenda. Serves
as liaison with Heritage Caucus. Determines Washington Trust
response on critical preservation-related legislation. Insures
strong communication with elected officials regarding preservation
agenda.
If
you are interested in getting involved in any of these committees,
please
contact us.
Top of Page |
In
2001, long-time Seattle philanthropist Patsy Bullitt Collins donated
the historic Stimson-Green Mansion to the Washington Trust.
Designed by noted Washington architect, Kirtland Cutter, this home
was built in 1900- 1901 and stands today as one of Seattle’s finest
residential landmarks. The Washington Trust’s continued
maintenance and stewardship of the mansion as a reception and event
center operated by the Stimson-Green Mansion Catering Company,
ensures its use and enjoyment by the public for years to come.