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Most Endangered
Historic
Properties List

Current List |
Watch List |
Past
Sites Listed
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 2008. In addition,
unfortunately many 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.
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2008
Most Endangered Historic Properties List
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Bettinger House –
Edmonds, Snohomish County
William &
Ina Bettinger built this Queen Anne-style house in 1917.
As one of the older houses in the downtown core of
Edmonds, the structure is identifiable for typical Queen
Anne details such as multiple gables, a wraparound
porch, fish-scale shingles, and decorative woodwork. The
house is considered eligible for the local register.
The Threat:
The Bettinger House sits within the
commercially zoned core of downtown
Edmonds and is subject to the
intense real estate pressures many
cities are experiencing throughout
the Puget Sound area. The building
recently changed hands, and while
the new owners appreciate the
historic value of the house, they
purchased the site for its prominent
downtown location and plan to erect
a structure for business purposes.
The owners are actively working with
the city and other preservation
advocates to identify a suitable
site for relocation of the house,
ideally within Edmonds.
Read the Press
Release
(Additional
Photos) |
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Greyhound Bus Station –
Olympia, Thurston County
In 1937,
the North Coast Lines, a consolidated bus company, built
what company representatives described as the “newest,
most modern bus depot in the entire Northwest.” Designed
by architect L.B. Barthomew, the distinctive Art Moderne
depot set the standard for other buildings in the area
employing the same popular style. In addition to the
streamline features characteristic of Art Moderne, the
bus depot featured a rooftop structure resembling a
radio tower that supported a neon “bus depot” sign
serving as a beacon to travelers.
With
Olympia located along the main highway system for the
state, the depot provided a significant link in the
transportation system, strategically sited along
downtown’s Sylvester Park; its detailing are modern in
character, complementing yet contrasting with the Old
Thurston County Courthouse/State Capitol Building. In
1949, North Coast Lines changed its name to The North
Coast Greyhound Lines, becoming simply the Greyhound
Lines by 1950. The depot continues to provide service to
Portland and Seattle and stands today as a contributing
building within the Downtown Olympia National Register
Historic District.
The Threat:
For several years, the specter of
redevelopment has threatened the Greyhound Bus Depot. In 2002, the company
initiated plans to relocate its operations adjacent to a proposed expansion of
Olympia’s Intercity Transit station five blocks away. While this expansion has
failed to materialize, recent efforts to secure federal funding have revived the
notion of an Intercity Transit expansion. Greyhound has expressed an interest if
expansion plans were to be implemented, as it would facilitate more convenient
connections with local bus routes.
Should Greyhound move to the new
facility, the 1937 bus depot would become vacant and likely be sold. To date,
the company has received offers from a local developer interested in erecting a
mix-use development on the site, which would require demolishing the depot.
Local zoning allows a more intense use of the parcel, and while demolition and
redevelopment of the site would be reviewed by the Olympia Preservation
Commission, there are no demolition controls.
Read the Press Release
(Additional Photos) |
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Historic Commercial Fishing Net Sheds – Gig Harbor,
Pierce County
Next to the fishing vessels
themselves, net sheds represent the most important architectural by-product of
the commercial fishing industry for Gig Harbor. Croatian immigrants began to
settle in the area around 1900, establishing Millville, one of the harbor’s
first towns, along the western shore. With commercial fishing as the predominant
industry, easy access to land for loading and unloading gear was essential.
Modest docks built on wood piles developed along the waterfront with, in many
cases, the family home constructed behind these net sheds. In addition to
workplaces, these simple wood piers and covered structures served as gathering
places for skippers, crews and their families.
The Threat:
As land values climb and property taxes
increase, these simple architectural treasures are being demolished and replaced
by condos and marinas. By bringing recognition to this endangered cultural
resource, more substantial incentives to preserve them become possible. The City
of Gig Harbor has taken steps to provide incentives for property owners who
retain historic net sheds and recently conducted a survey of the remaining
structures lining the harbor’s waterfront. Such proactive measures will work
toward preserving these emblems of Gig Harbor’s heritage.
Read the Press Release
(Additional Photos) |
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Kapus Farmstead
– Ridgefield, Clark County
Facing
pressures from population growth, real estate
development, and increased maintenance costs, the
state’s agricultural heritage as represented by
farmhouses, barns, silos, granaries, and all the other
buildings associated with food and crop production is
steadily diminishing. The Kapus Farmstead in Ridgefield
counters this trend. Settled in the 1880s and farmed by
Valentine Kapus and his family after 1888, the farm
produced potatoes, grains, dairy and beef cows, pigs,
chickens, and grapes. The farmland was gradually reduced
during the twentieth century, but the farm remained in
the Kapus family until 1963. As an ensemble, the Kapus
Farm evokes the feeling of an early-twentieth century
farmstead, and is unique as one of the last relatively
intact complex of farm buildings left in Clark County.
The farm
retains the 1888 farmhouse, but most of the structures
on site date from circa 1929 when a live-in carpenter
was employed to modernize the farm. During this time, he
remodeled the farmhouse and constructed a water tower,
garage, and outhouse, all of which remain at the site
(the farm’s badly deteriorated barn was demolished
several years ago, while the granary was relocated to a
new site in Ridgefield). The water tower is especially
unique being a four-story, wood-frame structure with a
gabled roof still housing the original 2,500-gallon
wooden water tank.
The Threat:
In 1994, the property was brought into
Ridgefield’s Urban Growth Boundary and soon after annexed into the City of
Ridgefield. This changed the zoning classification of the Kapus Farmstead to
Planned Commercial Development, allowing for a much more intense level of land
use than had previously existed. In February of 2007 Southwest Washington Health
System purchased a 75-acre parcel of land called Discovery Pointe from the Port
of Ridgefield. One month later, Southwest Washington Health System purchased the
remaining land comprising the Kapus Farmstead – a 1.5-acre parcel immediately
adjacent to Discovery Pointe. The company’s plan included leveling the entire
farm site for a medical services and retail development.
Difficulties arose when Southwest
Washington Health System discovered that the Kapus Farmstead was a designated
historic site listed in the Clark County Heritage Register, a fact the seller
had failed to disclose, according to company representatives. As a county
landmark, alterations to the farm buildings (including demolition) need approval
of the Clark County Historic Preservation Commission. After learning of the
site’s significance, Southwest Washington Health System has been working with
the Preservation Commission to identify parties interested in moving the farm
structures to another site in Ridgefield. For their part, the commission hopes
an agricultural/rural site can be found so that all farm structures are
relocated in a manner reflecting the original farm setting.
Read the Press Release
(Additional Photos) |
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Murray Morgan
Bridge –
Tacoma, Pierce County
Spanning the famed Thea Foss
Waterway, Tacoma’s Murray Morgan Bridge stands as a vigilant reminder of the
challenges facing historic bridges throughout Washington State and across the
nation. Critical maintenance and monitoring issues these engineering marvels
face were tragically brought to light with the collapse of I-35 in Minneapolis
in August of 2007. In Washington, the State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)
has categorized over 120 bridges in the state highway system as structurally
deficient. The majority of bridges within this category are over 50 years old,
the threshold for being considered historic.
Dominating the Tacoma skyline
when it was built in 1913, the Murray Morgan Bridge, known then as the 11th
Street Bridge, played a key role in the city’s urban development by linking
downtown to the waterfront and the industrial tide flats. Designed by renowned
bridge engineers Waddell and Harrington, the bridge is remarkable for the height
of the deck, the overhead span designed for carrying a water pipe, and its
construction on a grade. In addition, the bridge plays a prominent role in
Tacoma’s social history, serving as the setting for gatherings and labor
disputes, including a violent strike in 1916, just three years after completion.
In 1997, the bridge was renamed after Murray Morgan, a noted Washington
historian.
The Threat:
The Murray Morgan Bridge became part of the state’s highway system in 1937. But
with new transportation corridors constructed in the 1990s, the 11th Street
route was seen as less critical, and WSDOT entered into negotiations with the
City of Tacoma to return the bridge to municipal ownership. Failure to agree on
the terms of transfer has led to a stalemate, and concerns surrounding deferred
maintenance prompted WSDOT to close the bridge to vehicular traffic in fall
2007.
At present, the main obstacle to saving the bridge
is the great expense: recent studies indicate that restoration of the Murray
Morgan Bridge would cost $80 million. Supporters, however, remain undaunted. A
strong coalition of Tacoma-based preservationists, history buffs and elected
officials are calling for rehabilitation, citing the National Register-listed
bridge as an example of innovative engineering and its importance to Tacoma’s
history as justification for preservation. While funds for the bridge have been
identified, significant additional dollars are needed if the Murray Morgan
Bridge is to be restored and returned to use once again.
Read the Press Release
(Additional Photos) |
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Nuclear Reactor
Building –
Seattle, King County
Throughout the 1950s, the
University of Washington developed its Nuclear Engineering curriculum, with the
first Master’s Degree awarded in 1958. Understanding that a research reactor was
essential to a competitive Nuclear Engineering program, the University of
Washington completed construction of the reactor in 1961. Known today as the
More Hall Annex, the Nuclear Reactor Building derives significance as a rare
example of a Nuclear Age structure that embraced transparency. Rather than
shrouding the purpose of the building in secrecy, university officials opted for
a site in close proximity to other engineering buildings. The expressive
concrete structure sits in a prominent university plaza and features walls of
glass that allowed observers to essentially participate in the faculty and
student work occurring within.
As a structure, the Nuclear
Reactor Building itself is a fine example of modernism designed by noted
architects Wendell Lovett, Gene Zema and Daniel Streissguth. Together with a
structural engineer and an artist, the group formed The Architect Artist Group,
or TAAG. With the exception of Gene Zema, each member of the group served as
University of Washington faculty. The Nuclear Reactor represents the only
building project completed by TAAG.
The Threat:
A University Master Plan adopted in 2004 called
for demolition of the structure once the reactor was officially decommissioned.
With that process now complete, the university has applied to the City of
Seattle for a permit to demolish the reactor building. And while the university
does have guidelines for assessing the historic significance of buildings on
campus, the reactor is not yet 50 years old, and therefore was not subject to
additional review for the purpose of determining significance.
Due to efforts made by the Friends of the Nuclear
Reactor Building, a student group on campus hoping to see this iconic structure
adaptively reused, a campaign is being waged to raise awareness of the building,
have it listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and celebrate its
architectural, technological, and historical significance as a symbol of the
Nuclear Age.
Read the Press Release
(Additional Photos) |
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Old Granary
Building – Bellingham, Whatcom County
Serving as a monument to agriculture and
produce, Bellingham’s Granary Building stands as a key
part of Whatcom County’s early chicken and egg
cooperative movement. In the early 1900s, rapid growth
of cities expanded the demand for chickens and eggs to
the extent that small producers could not keep up. To
compete with imported products, smaller farms formed
cooperative associations to address their supply and
marketing needs.
In the fall of 1915, a group of farmers
formed an association that ultimately led to the
organization of the Washington Cooperative Egg and
Poultry Association. By 1920, Whatcom County’s chicken
population exceeded every other county in the West
except one in California. Today, the Granary Building
continues to represent this movement. The Granary
Building, a three-story concrete structure and
associated wood-framed silo tower built for the coop,
creates a distinct silhouette in downtown Bellingham’s
skyline and is architecturally notable as an
agricultural building form co-existing within an
urban/industrial working waterfront setting.
The Threat:
The Port of Bellingham currently owns the
Granary Building, along with over 200 acres of property along Bellingham’s
waterfront containing numerous additional structures that until recently served
as an operating site of the Georgia-Pacific Corp. Intending to redevelop the
entire site, the Port released a Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) in
January of 2008. Each of the three redevelopment schemes presented in the DEIS
assumes removal of the Granary Building. Of the thirteen buildings at the site
identified as potentially eligible for historic designation, the DEIS assumes
that all but one would be removed given the anticipated level of redevelopment
activity.
In addition to being individually eligible for
inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, the Granary is in close
proximity to Bellingham’s Central Business District and the Old Town area of the
Lettered Streets Neighborhood. The Port’s DEIS notes that of 43 designated
historic buildings, structures, and districts within the vicinity of the
proposed redevelopment zones, the majority of designated sites are located in
these areas. As such, the Granary Building is an important component of the
overall historical context the City of Bellingham has worked to preserve.
Recently, the Port of Bellingham, distributed a
Request for Proposals soliciting a consultant to assist in developing mitigation
strategies for any adverse effect redevelopment may have on historic structures
potentially eligible for designation, including the granary. Fearful of losing
the identifiable Granary Building along with nearly a dozen other historic
structures, concerned residents of Bellingham are beginning to actively advocate
for the preservation of these structures and for a measured analysis of how it
might be adaptively reused as an economically viable project.
Read the Press Release
(Additional Photos) |
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Washington Hall – Seattle, King County
Washington Hall is
significant as the well-loved focal point of community
life in an ethnically diverse neighborhood. Built in
1908 for Danish immigrants starting anew in America, the
hall soon hosted other populations in the Central
District neighborhood, including African American,
Jewish, Filipino, Japanese, Croatian, Korean, and
Ethiopian. The hall’s spacious second floor dance hall
and stage, and its first floor meeting hall with kitchen
were available for rent and in constant use. Over the
years, well known civil rights activists, labor unions,
community dances, and a wide array of artists have
leased the space. World-renowned musicians, including
Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Billie Holliday, and Jimi
Hendrix, performed at Washington Hall. In addition, the
building possesses architectural significance as the
only known fraternal hall designed by prolific Seattle
architect Victor Voorhees.
The Threat:
Since 1973, Washington Hall has
served as the headquarters for the Sons of Haiti, an African-American Masonic
lodge. Facing increased maintenance costs, the Sons of Haiti have recently put
the property on the market. With zoning allowing a dense residential
development, it is feared that developers will wish to acquire the property to
demolish the building and put up condominiums. Given the significant degree of
deferred maintenance the building faces, it will take a dedicated
preservationist to step forward and find a compatible new program for the
building in order to keep its legacy alive, as the purchase price reflects the
value of the land. Sale to the wrong buyer could easily result in the loss of
this highly significant property.
Read the Press Release
(Additional Photos) |
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1204
Minor Avenue - Seattle, Washington 98101
Phone (206) 624-9449 - Fax (206) 624-2410
e-mail:
info@wa-trust.org |
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