4Culture Awards Rehab Grants to Seven Historic Properties
June 8, 2007 - Historic buildings in Snoqualmie, Carnation, Kirkland, North Bend, Vashon Island, and Auburn are among the seven recipients of the 2007 Landmark Rehabilitation Program grants, which are given annually by 4Culture to support the preservation of designated landmarks in King County. Managed by Preservation 4Culture, the funds stabilize and restore historic properties. A total of $74,500 in grants was awarded in conjunction with National Preservation Month in May.
 The 2007 recipients include the historic IOOF Hall in Snoqualmie, a two-story wooden structure built in 1902 for the Modern Woodmen of America, a fraternal organization founded in 1883. Located in Snoqualmie's historic district near the train depot, the building served as a meeting place for the Woodmen and later the Independent Order of Oddfellows, another fraternal group. Owner Peter LeHaye says the building was also a community gathering place; he received a letter describing how "the whole floor upstairs was shaking" during a town dance in the 1920s.
LeHaye will use his $15,367 rehabilitation grant to continue renovation and restoration of the building, which will be converted into a family-style mixed grill. He says preserving the history of the building is crucial to the success of his restaurant, which will be called the Historical Woodmen Lodge. "We want to make sure that visitors get the feeling of escaping into 1902," he says.
More 2007 Landmark Rehabilitation Program Grant Recipients
 Hjertoos Farm (Roger Thorsen, $7,363): One of a dwindling number of early 20th-century farmsteads in the Carnation area, the highly distinctive timber frame hay/dairy barn and the ornate farmhouse of the Hjertoos Farm were constructed in 1907-1909. Norwegian immigrants Andrew and Bergette Hjertoos purchased the property in 1901, and members of the Hjertoos family operated a successful dairy farm at the location until 1954. Now operated as the Carnation Tree Farm, the property is held by the Hjertoos' great-grandson, who will use the grant money to paint the barn.
 American Legion Post #79 (American Legion Post #79, $9,000): Originally constructed as the Snoqualmie Methodist Church, the structure derives its significance from its association with the American Legion Post #79 established in 1926. Located in Snoqualmie's historic district, the rehabilitation funds will help pay for roof repair and restoration of key exterior wood elements, such as window sills, surrounds, fascia, crown molding, skirt boarding, and the porch railing.
 First Church of Christ, Scientist (Kirkland Heritage Society, $15,504): Constructed in 1922-1923, the First Church of Christ, Scientist is the oldest surviving church building in Kirkland, and the oldest Christian Science church building in eastern King County. Moved to its current site in 1999, it now serves as home to the Kirkland Heritage Society. The grant will fund restoration of four Doric columns.
 North Bend Bank/Phillips Jewelry (David and Lisa Cook, $15,000): Built in 1910, the North Bend Bank build-
ing was combined in 1970 with the adjacent barbershop under one gabled roof with an Alpine look. The project was part of an early attempt to attract visitors with a Bavarian theme. The rehabilitation funds will help restore the structure to its 1920s appearance as part of an overall revitalization effort for downtown North Bend.
 Vashon Oddfellows Hall (Vashon Allied Arts, $4,816): The plain, wood-frame, two-story Vashon Oddfellows Hall is a familiar landmark on the Vashon Highway. Constructed in 1912, a dance hall, dining room, and kitchen were added over the years as membership and community demand grew. The building, now home to Vashon Allied Arts, reached its present configuration in 1927. The arts group will use the grant money to repair the aging roof.
 Mary Olson Farm (White River Valley Museum, $7,450): Established in 1879, the Olson Farm in Auburn was owned and occupied for nearly 100 years by the Swedish immigrant family of Mary Olson Johnson. Now operated by the White River Valley Museum, the property is a rare historic farmstead directly associated with subsistence farming, hop ranching, and dairy farming. The grant funds will be used to rehabilitate fragile outbuildings.
Applicants requested a total $161,895 in 2007, a 30 percent increase over 2006. A total of $78,500 was available in the 2007 Landmark Rehabilitation Program. In addition to the $74,500 in grants, $4,000 was set aside for emergency repairs to landmark properties. Grants are made by a review panel, which makes awards based on the U.S. Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, as well as the project's feasibility, impact on the property, and other criteria.
For more information on the 2007 Landmark Rehabilitation Program grants, contact Flo Lentz, Preservation 4Culture, 206-296-8682.
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