Historic preservationists in rural communities across Eastern Washington race against time to save

[TexasTowelie]

Historic preservationists in rural communities across Eastern Washington race against time to save old buildings


It doesn't take long for a really old building to fall apart.

Sitting vacant, the pathway to ruin is only expedited by the whims of nature and time, weather and neglect.

It takes less than 20 years, for example, for plaster and paint to start peeling off walls in crumbly scabs. Wooden floors and walls rot and buckle from water damage even faster. Broken windows give the animal kingdom free rein to move in and make themselves at home, not to mention human vandals with ill intent. None of the above cares how old, nor how significant the architecture, nor how special a building's past may be.

Once a century-old building falls far enough into disrepair, bringing it back to former glory only becomes more challenging — and expensive. If the structure is in a less-desirable or out-of-the-way location, another obstacle arises.

Combined, these factors make preserving old buildings in small, rural towns — towns that 50, 100, 150 years ago thrived, but have a fraction of residents today — even more difficult.

Read more: https://www.inlander.com/spokane/historic-preservationists-in-rural-communities-across-eastern-washington-race-against-time-to-save-old-buildings/Content?oid=23082531
(Spokane Inlander)

[Sherman A1]

1. Yes, they are a challenge and an ongoing one

I volunteer with one of the local groups here doing cleaning and light maintenance at a historic house and my very limited experience tells me that without someone in the lead doing the impossible on both the physical and the fundraising it is a thing that simply doesn’t happen.

In my case we have such a person and the community is lucky to have her dedication.

[TexasTowelie]

2. There is an effort to refurbish a hotel that was built by the founder and namesake of the town where

I was raised (yes, George West was conceited enough to name the town for himself and he also named another stop along the railroad line for his wife, Kitty West). The building was constructed in 1913 and is at the east entrance come into town just after the railroad tracks. It's a two-story brick building and it would be nice to see it refurbished, but the owner doesn't have the money necessary to do it.

I'm not certain that the community can handle another project since they renovated the theater across from the courthouse for community events and screening some of the old classics. That theater was one of the first buildings to have air conditioning so you can imagine how popular going to the movies was in the hot south Texas summers, but it was closed for nearly all of the thirty years I was around the town.

[Sherman A1]

3. This is the group where I volunteer

They work not only to preserve the house on the home page but on preservation of the area’s founding families histories and on other sites in the area as they come up. It is interesting work but requires a dedicated leader and we are fortunate to have one that is a ball of fire.

https://historicflorissant.com/

[Willis88]

4. Not cheap

I've done some work in this field in Iowa. End result was awesome, preserving historic buildings putting them back into productive use but man oh man is it ever expensive. Without government grantsloans it's almost impossible because private market rather tear it down for parking for the lot next door.