Historic Downtown Skykomish Moves for Cleanup
People move chairs, sofas and tables all the time to clean up a mess. But how about moving a whole town? That's what's happening to historic Skykomish, population 207, in the mountains of eastern King County. Contractors are literally picking up and moving nearly all the buildings in the community's 100-acre downtown historic district to make room for bulldozers and dump trucks. The vehicles are hauling away thousands of tons of contaminated soil under the buildings.
There's a big hole in the ground where my house used to be and it's full of oil and there's a foul smell, says Michael Moore, owner of the Moore House, one of the 14 structures in the Skykomish Historic Commercial District, an officially designated local landmark, which is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Moore teaches in the local school district and sits on the town's design review board. His home was one of the first structures moved for the cleanup.
The cleanup stems from the days when the town was a refueling stop for freight and passenger trains traveling over Stevens Pass. The activity left thousands of gallons of fuel oil in the soil, and the oil is slowly seeping into the nearby Skykomish River. The state Department of Ecology is working with BNSF Railway to clean up the oil by scraping away the contaminated soil and replacing it with clean soil. (BNSF is a descendant of the Great Northern Railway, which built the original line.)
The plan had to include a way to protect the town's historic district, which dates back to the late 19th century. That led to the decision to temporarily move the structures in the historic district, which stretches along the riverbank. Once the cleanup is complete in 2009, the town's 100th birthday, all the historic buildings, including homes, a store, and a hotel, will be back in place. Moore says he's proud of the town's accomplishment so far. We held our historic district together, he says. We're going to save our town.
For more information, contact Michael Moore, 360-677-2410.
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