Effort Underway to Preserve Historic Kirkland Cannery
Residents of Eastside communities once trekked to the Kirkland Cannery to preserve their home-grown fruits and vegetables. Now they're flocking once more to the historic building in an effort to preserve an icon of local commercial history. "It's part of the heart of the community," says Tracy Burrows, senior management analyst who's working on the venture for the City of Kirkland. "A lot of people have memories of going with their mothers to the cannery and making a day of it."
The industrial building near downtown Kirkland was constructed in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration, a federal agency set up to create jobs during the Great Depression. Originally used by a state agency to can fruits and vegetables for state institutions, and staffed by prisoners, the cannery was later opened to the public to process their own produce. Local residents contributed a third of their produce canned in the facility as in-kind payment. The first building of its type in the nation, the wooden structure is one of 29 structures recognized by the City of Kirkland's Comprehensive Plan as historic. It's also listed as a high priority structure by the Kirkland Heritage Society.
The Pound family, which acquired the building in 1947, is working with the city to preserve the structure for future Kirkland and eastside residents. In June, the city sponsored an open house to discuss the cannery. The event drew more than 100 people. Burrows says the city has also contracted with an architect to explore preservation options. The report is expected by the end of the summer. "The next step is to try to find a way to make this happen," she says.
For more information, contact Tracy Burrows, 425.587.3009,tburrows@ci.kirkland.wa.us.
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