Sunday Church Feature
St. John's Episcopal Cathedral
Spokane, Washington

St. John's Episcopal Cathedral at 127 Twelfth Avenue commands the escartment south of the downtown area of Spokane.  Its spires and carillon bells are  beacons to the Christian community throughout the city.

"Notice the large rose window over the west entrance as it changes colors with the varying light of day."(See photo above.) (Reference.)

West entrance

"Often called the finest cathedral in the North west because of its beauty and authenticity, this Gothic-style cathedral was constructed between the years 1926 and 1954. Architect Harold C. Whitehouse adhered strictly to the principles of Gothic design in construction in this "labor of love".  Mr. Whitehouse worshipped here every Sunday until his death.  The solid masonry tower, which houses a carillon, stands 166 feet above the cathedral floor.  The interior is well worth a  tour." (Reference.)

Sanctuary

"The Cathedral organ is an instrument of generous size and genuine majesty representative of the finest period of cathedral organ design in America. It consists of three divisions and pedals plus a gallery division, over 4,000 pipes. It is installed in two chambers high above the entrance from the crossing to the chancel, with four ranks and the state trumpets mounted above the balcony at the west end of the Cathedral. The organ was designed, built and installed by the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company of Boston, builders of the most notable pipe organs in America. In 2000, the console underwent major renovation and received new keyboards, drawknobs, digital combination action and digital control for all the pipework, performed by Marceau and Associates Pipe Organ Builders of Portland, Oregon.

"It is rare indeed for a city the size of Spokane to have a carillon at all, much less one as fine as this. The carillon in the tower of Washington National Cathedral, also cast and installed by Taylor and Sons, has only four more bells, 53 instead of 49." (See Link.)

One of a pair of front doors

Reference: Spokane's Historic Architecture, 1977.

Photos: Taken in October 2010 by SW.

Link: http://www.stjohns-cathedral.org/about/about_index.php

Sunday Church Feature
Community United Methodist Church
Leavenworth, Washington

The  Community United Methodist Church at 418 Evans Street sits two blocks north of the Gazebo in the center square of the Bavarian style town of Leavenworth, Washington. It has been there for over 100 years.

"1907: Rev. Melvin Rumohr arrived on Memorial Day to organize a
                        Methodist church in Leavenworth.
             First service held a few weeks later with 20 people received
                        into membership.
           Sunday School began two months before his arrival, with five teachers
                       and nearly 40  children  attending.
           Annual conference held in September. Church incorporated as
                       First Methodist Episcopal  Church of Leavenworth, WA.
           Land purchased as building site for a church. Rev. Rumohr bought
                      adjacent lots and built a home for his family.
1908: Methodist Episcopal Ladies Aid Society organized.
          Choir organized by Mrs. Martel, a fine organist.
          Church built, at Evans and Whitman Streets. First services held Dec. 9.
1909: Church dedicated June 10, one of three Methodist churches in the
                     valley dedicated that day.  Others in Peshastin and Cashmere.
          Organ purchased. Bell installed in the belfry.
1912: Parsonage built.
1929: First women pastors appointed: Bertha Reich and Winifred Dove.
1946-49: Four lots purchased at Evans and Summit Streets for new, larger
                    church. Existing house on the land became the new parsonage.
         Church construction took three years; Rev. Rumohr was on the
                    building committee.
1949: First services held in new church on Easter Sunday. Rev. LaVern E.
                    Tooley was pastor; he built altar, pulpit and lectern.
1950: "Art" window installed in the sanctuary.
1954: New church dedicated, after mortgage was paid off (required before a
                    building can be dedicated).
1959: Golden Jubilee of the church celebrated (50 years after dedication of
                   first church). Rev. Rumohr participated.
1969: New parsonage purchased.
1986: Church exterior stuccoed.
1997: Celebrated 50th anniversary of laying the cornerstone of present church building.
2006: Lift installed for handicap access.
2007: Celebration of Centennial Year." (See Link.) 

Thank you: To Jane, church historian, for reference to history of Community United Methodist Church.
Photo: Taken in November 2010 by SW.

For more information on Leavenworth, Washington see these Blog Posts:
        Saturday Travel Feature, "The Gazebo", November 6, 2010.      
        Sunday Church Feature, "St. Joseph's Catholic Church", November 7, 2010.
       Satuday Travel Feature, "FestHalle", November 13, 2010.

Saturday Travel Feature
FestHalle

Leavenworth, Washington

"Located in the beautiful Bavarian village of Leavenworth in the Eastern Cascade Foothills of Washington State, the Leavenworth Festhalle is a multiuse facility that includes a large 10,000 square foot open event hall, restrooms, lobby, and outside patio area.  Its planned usage includes festivals including Oktoberfest, Autumn Leaf festival, Accordion Festival, Leavenworth Summer Theater Productions, Sausage Fest, Wine Fest, River Fest, Upper Valley Arts Council, Chamber of Commerce functions, Cascade School District events, Weddings, etc.  The Festhalle is also available for use by large conferences, meetings, and large gatherings that may be coming to Leavenworth.  Services including facilities rental, logistics, catering, audio visual, and more may be arranged." (See Link.)

The FestHalle is the performance home of the Summer Theater group that is presenting "Amahl and the Night Visitors" this holiday season.

Photos: Taken in November 2010 by SW.

Link: http://www.leavenworthfesthalle.com/     

   For more information on Leavenworth, Washington see these Blog Posts:

        Saturday Travel Feature, "The Gazebo", November 6, 2010.      

        Sunday Church Feature, "St. Joseph's Catholic Church", November 7, 2010.

        Sunday Church Feature, "Community United Methodist Church", 11/13/10.

Sunday Church Feature
St. Joseph Catholic Church
Leavenworth, Washington

Leavenworth, Washington is a town in north central Washington State that reinvented itself as a Bavarian tourist destination when its lumber industry died.  The landscape of high mountains gave the setting and the citizens added facades and paintings to their buildings to transform the town into this Alpine delight.  Some even incorporated some of the original heritage buildings of the area.  One of those was the hotel Pension Anna.

In 1992 the owners of Pension Anna moved the abandoned St. Joseph's Catholic Church to their site one block south of the Front Street.  Here they added it to their hotel space and named it  the Old Chapel Suite.

The church building is distinctive with its Russian onion shaped steeple. A painting of St. Joseph decorates the south exterior wall of the church.  It was original built at the north east corner of Evans and Cascade Streets, an area known as Leavenworth Gardens,  in 1910.  The building was "26 by 38 with a vestibule and tower at the entrance. Sacristy, 14 X16, will be located opposite the entrance.  Cost approximately $2000. (The Sacristy is presumable the small structure attached at the rear of the building.)... church received a handsome altar from Seattle...1913 The bell arrives, largest in town, weighing nearly 1000 pounds..the church bell now (2010) resides in Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church at 145 Wheeler St., Leavenworth." (Reference.)

"Saint Joseph (Hebrew יוֹסֵף, "Yosef"; Greek: Ἰωσήφ), often clarified as Saint Joseph the carpenter, is an important figure in Christian belief, the husband of Mary, mother of Jesus. According to Christian tradition he was not the biological father of Jesus, but acted as his foster-father^[1] and as head of the Holy Family. According to Christian tradition, Jesus was referred to as the son of Joseph during his public life,^[2] though in Mark he is referred to as Mary's son (Mark 6:3).^[3] Joseph is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches." (See Link 1.)

Reference and Thank You: To Leo Bodvin of south of Yakima.

Photos: Taken in Leavenworth in October 2010 by SW.

Link 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Joseph

Link 2: http://www.pensionanna.com/rates.html

See Blog Post November 6, 2010 "Saturday Travel Feature, The Gazebo, Leavenworth, Washington" for more information on the history of Leavenworth.

Saturday Travel Feature
The Gazebo
Leavenworth, Washington

"Leavenworth is a city in Chelan County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Wenatchee–East Wenatchee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,074 at the 2000 census.

"The first route across Stevens Pass was built by the Great Northern Railway in 1892. The townsite was across the Wenatchee River from Icicle and was named Leavenworth the same year the rail construction began. Captain Charles Leavenworth, president of the Okanogan Investment Company, purchased the land in the present-day downtown and laid the streets parallel to the new railroad tracks.

"The railroad construction was completed during the winter of 1893. Lafayette Lamb and his brother, Chauncery Lamb arrived in 1903 from Iowa to build the second largest sawmill in Washington state.

"Leavenworth was officially incorporated on September 5, 1906. A small timber community, it became the headquarters of the Great North Railroad in the early 1900s. The railroad relocated to Wenatchee in the 1920s, greatly affecting Leavenworth's economy.

"The city struggled until 1962, when the Project LIFE (Leavenworth Improvement For Everyone) Committee was formed to transform the city into a mock Bavarian village to revitalize its economy.^[3] Owen and Pauline Watson, owners of a business on Front Street, formed the committee after visiting Solvang, California in 1958 and thought it was an excellent idea for Leavenworth.

"Leavenworth is home to the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum, which opened in 1995 and contains more than 5,000 nutcrackers dating from prehistoric to modern.^[4] Leavenworth's annual Oktoberfest celebration is claimed to be one of the most attended in the world outside Munich, Germany.^[5] Leavenworth's transformation into a theme town was inspired, and assisted, by Solvang, California. Later the Washington town of Winthrop followed Leavenworth's example and adopted a town theme.^[6]

"In November 2007 Good Morning America went to Leavenworth for Holiday Gifts for the Globe where GMA helped light up the town for the Christmas Holiday. Leavenworth was also named the Ultimate HolidayTown USA by A&E." (See Link.)

The Gazebo is in the square in the center of Leavenworth.  It is alive with concerts art exhibits.

Photos: Taken in October 2010 by SW.

Link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leavenworth,_Washington



Saturday Travel Feature
1914 Clallam  County Courthouse
Port Angeles, Washington

"The Clallam County Courthouse was built in 1914 and is located in Port Angeles, Washington. The court house has a bell tower containing a bell which was shipped from Boston all the way around the horn. The building has had at least one addition since it was built. The building uses 126 solar panels, which were installed in 1979, to produce an estimated 20 percent of the electric power needed for the building. (Link 1.)

"Since it was officially established as the location of the Custom House in 1861, Port Angeles has had a long and colorful history. But its history started long before that when the Lower Elwha S'Klallam Tribe used what is now called Hollywood beach as a fishing village. This site is now frontage for the waterfront trail and City pier.

"Don Francisco de Eliza discovered the deep-water harbor in 1791. All trade in and out of Port Angeles came through the harbor and today the Port of Port Angeles still maintains a vigorous harbor for trade and commerce.
Port Angeles was established as a townsite by Abraham Lincoln in 1862 by executive order which led the Board of Trade in 1890 to call it the "Second National City", Washington DC being the first. Most of the land was held as a military reserve until 1894. Pioneers "jumped the Reserve" in 1890 and congress agreed to sale of lots in 1894. Tributes to Lincoln's influence are found in the naming of Lincoln Street in the heart of town, Lincoln school, and Lincoln Park.

"The forest and fishing industries played major roles in the boom and bust economy of Port Angeles. The regenerative forest around Port Angeles supplied the building materials for Seattle, San Francisco and beyond. Trees of mammoth proportions were shipped through the Port as old-fashioned saws cut down the forest. Salmon was king of the Strait and plentiful for all to fish. Commercial fisherman, charter boats, and sport fisherman took their limits easily and returned year after year just as the salmon did. Both industries have slowed some, as concerns over habitat for bird and salmon are analyzed and protective zones and regulations have been developed.

"Olympic Forest Reserve was established in 1897. In 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt established the Mt. Olympus National Monument. Olympic National Park was established in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Generations of tourists and travelers have come to the Olympics for rest and rejuvenation. Two hot springs in Olympic National Park were touted for their medicinal value early in the 1900s and folks from Seattle made the 3-5 day journey by boat and wagon to spend a week at Olympic and Sol Duc Hot Spring Resorts. They would arrive in Port Angeles or Port Crescent on the "Mosquito Fleet" (independent ferries that were the major transport in Puget Sound) and then travel by wagon through the forest." (Link 2.) 

A-Port Angeles, Washington (Mapquest)

The Blackball Ferry Connects Port Angeles, Washington, USA with Victoria, B.C., Canada. The Blackball Ferry line has been going for 50 years.  The trip from Port Angeles to Victoria on this older picturesque ferry takes 90 minutes. (See Link 3.) At Christmas time Santa may even be on board.

Link 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clallam_County_Courthouse
Link 2: http://www.portangeles.org/history.html
Link 3: http://cohoferry.com/main/

Sunday Church Feature

1879 St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Port Gamble, Washington

"St. Paul’s (Episcopal) Church sits on a sloping grass bluff overlooking the waters of Port Gamble Bay. The church, built in (1879), is modeled after a church in the Maine hometown of Port Gamble's founders. The meticulously restored church boasts 8 cathedral stained glass windows, original pews and a domed altar area. One of the most photographed buildings in the area, the picturesque church steeple houses the original church bell..." (Link 2.)The church is available for weddings with an outdoor waterfront tented terrace that accommodates 150.  The church and the Best Friends Antique Shop featured in the October 16th, 2010 blog post are both on Rainier Avenue facing the water.

"In 1860, Superintendent Josiah Keller built a community hall for "those who desire public worship, social enjoyment or fraternal communion and to educate the children.” In 1879, the community built this church to resemble a church in his hometown of East Machias, Maine. The expense of construction was paid for by subscription, with Puget Mill Co. being the largest subscriber. The bell was a gift of Pope and Talbot (owners of Puget Mill Co.) officials in San Francisco. Since most of the residents in 1879 were from Maine, the church was dedicated in the Congregational faith. The Rev. G. H. Atkinson, D.D., was the first resident pastor.

"Members of the congregation purchased their pews and this practice reflected class distinctions in Port Gamble. By 1913, Congregational attendance dropped off and Baptists used the church as well. Regular services ended in the 1920s. In 1931, the religious affiliation of the church changed to Episcopal, reflecting the faith of the resident manager. The congregation changed the sanctuary, the pew arrangement and the location of the lectern, and added an altar. Pope and Talbot restored the church in 1973 and returned the steeple to its original height." (See Link 1.) (Link 3 for video tour of church.)


Note: See map and description of area in October 16th, 2010 post, Saturday Travel Feature, Best Friends Antiques, Port Gamble, Washington. The church is on the same street as the Best Friends Antiques Shop.
Photo: Taken in  December 2005 by SW.

Link 1:http://www.portgamble.com/externalsite.asp?URL=http%3A//www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm%3Ffile_id%3D7025
Link 2:http://www.portgambleweddings.com/default.asp?ID=21
Link 3:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ioz0Ol0_yg

Saturday Travel Feature\
Best Friends Antiques
Port Gamble, Washington

"The Kitsap Peninsula village of Port Gamble, located on a bay of the same name on Hood Canal, is one of the only surviving examples of a nineteenth century company town. It traces its roots back to the arrival of San Francisco timber entrepreneurs Josiah Keller, William Talbot, Andrew Pope, and Charles Foster in 1853, just months after Washington gained territorial status. Their succession of mills remained in operation until 1995, and many of the New England-style homes and stores that once served Port Gamble workers are now being restored by Olympic Property Group for residential and commercial uses bridging the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries.

"The owners of the Puget Mill Co. believed that if they provided good homes and a stable community for their workers, they would profit from higher productivity. The owners of Puget Mill Co. hailed from East Machias, Maine, and they recruited many of their earliest skilled workers from there. Port Gamble grew to resemble a New England town of the era with gabled homes, a steepled church, and elm trees...

"By the 1870s the community could boast athletic teams, a library and reading room, a dramatic club, and a school. Managers and skilled workers got the best homes and some employees built their own houses. Company houses had indoor plumbing and electricity almost as soon as those conveniences became available. Residents enjoyed the services of a medical clinic, a store, a school, a community hall, annual celebrations, even a mortuary and a cemetery.
In the 1930s, many of the smaller houses were sold and moved. Older buildings such as the schoolhouse and the Puget Hotel were demolished in subsequent decades when they could no longer be used. Through the end of the twentieth century, Port Gamble continued to function as a company town, providing homes to sawmill workers, a store, and other community services.
In 1995, the sawmill closed, but Port Gamble did not. Pope Resources still owns the town and property and Olympic Property Group rents the commercial buildings and residences. Port Gamble has become a tourist attraction and a destination for special events and ceremonies." (See Link 1, be sure to take the virtual tours of Port Gamble.)

A-Port Gamble, Washington (Mapquest)

The white house with the picket fence in the photo above is Best Friends Antiques at 32239 Ranier Avenue NE. (See Link 2.)  It was built in "1900-1901" in Port Ludlow. It was "barged over from Port Ludlow sometime after 1921 as employment at Port Ludlow dropped after the mill closed in 1935.  The house is named the Morrill Pope House, as Morrill Pope was the mill superintendent at Port Ludlow.  He was also a distant relative of Andrew Pope." (Shana Smith, town manager.) (See Link 1.)

SW 1940 lead figure Christmas display

Note: As a child in Milwaukee, Wisconsin part of the family Christmas display was a scene of lead skaters.  They were purchased by my mother in the 1940's.  After my parents died, in 1966 and 1967 they became part of my annual Christmas display.  In 2005 when I visited the Best Friends Antique Shop in Port Gamble I found 6 additions to my display: two male skater(in orange and green), a figure skater, Santa, a sleigh, and a reindeer.  All the pieces are lead and made in the 1940's.  The display is pictured in the photo above.

Thank you: To Shana Smith for her e mail detailing the history of Best Friends Antiques.

Photo: Top photo taken in Port Gamble in  2005 by SW.   Bottom photo taken in 2010 in my living room, SW.

Link1: http://www.portgamble.com/externalsite.asp?URL=http%3A//www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm%3Ffile_id%3D7025
Link 2: http://www.portgamble.com/default.asp?ID=99

Sunday Church Feature
Rockford United Methodist  (Episcopal) Church
Rockford, Washington


At 217 So. 1st Street in the center of Rockford, Washington and across from the Pump House, a Methodist Church has sat since 1879.  Today called the Rockford United Methodist Church the church building in the photo above is the third church built on the site. 

The church congregation originally met in the home of Mrs. Charles Farnsworth.  The first church building was to be built in 1880 as a gift from the Farnsworth Lumber Company. This first Rockford Church building was very small and primitive with hand hewed slabs for pews.  It was torn down in 1883 and a larger church built on the same site in 1884. (See photo below.)

The 1884 Rockford United Methodist (Episcopal) Church

Note: The parsonage is on the left and the Rockford School in the background.

"The sanctuary Rostrum was carpeted with "Red Ingrain" carpeting...  The room was  heated with  a large wood burning heater near the back of the room. There were two aisles going from the back to the Rostrum,  with one wide tier of pews from back to front, and a narrow tier on either side which were fastened to the sides of the structure walls.   There was room at the side of the Altar for the Choir to sit and room for a nice organ of the foot pump variety. (Marie Pratt Lee Reference.)

"When  the Armistice was signed in 1918, the church bells were rung all over the land.  It had been thought that our bell had been rung  too vigorously, which weakened the tower and the roof structure, which the heavy snow of 1922 proved its undoing and it had to be torn down." (See Reference Marie Pratt Lee.) In 1922 this building was condemned and torn down.   The present church, the one in the top photo, was built in 1923.  During the demolition and new construction the congregation met in the Presbyterian Church.

The present minister Rev. David Lura is also the past minister.  Rev. David Lura served the congregation of the Rockford United Methodist Church 1980 to 1984.  Then he was called to serve "on the other side of the mountains".  This September, 2010, in his retirement, he has again become the minister of the Rockford United Methodist Church. 

The Rockford Community Methodist Church is also presently used as for performances. "August 21st 7pm--Free Piano Concert by recording artist John Nilsen @ Rockford United Methodist Church" (See Link 2.) 

Note: For more about Rockford, Washington see blog post September 25, 2010, Saturday Travel Feature, 1916 Pump House, Rockford, Washington.

Thank you: To Rev. David Lura and Ester Hemken for information regarding the Rockford United Methodist Church. To Paul Gillespie for e mailing the reference information and the photo from the Rockford Museum collection.

Demolitions: Of the approximately 1880 church in 1983.
                 Of the 1984 church in 1922.
Photos: Top photo taken in 2007 by SW. 
                 Bottom photo from the Rockford Museum collection.

References:  Historical Sketch of Rockford United Methodist (Episcopal) Church, 1879-1979, One Hundred Years of Methodism in Rockford, Washington.  Historical Sketch from the Dedication Bulletin, the Rockford Methodist Episcopal Church, November, 1923, by Marie Pratt Lee.

Link 1:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockford,_Washington
Link 2:http://rockford-wa.blogspot.com/

Saturday Travel Feature

1916 Pump House
Rockford, Washington

Rockford, Washington is a small, .7 square miles, town in the rolling hills south of Spokane, Washington.  As of the census of 2009 there were 513 people residing in the town. (Paul Gillespie.) It is an old town,  officially incorporated on June 18, 1890.  (See Link 1.)

The most predominant old building in Rockford, Washington is the bright red brick 1916 Pump House on 1st Street.  The building was originally built by Washington Waterpower as a pump house for the town's water system.  In the 1980's it housed the Rockford Museum. And in 1989 they provided the new red metal roof as part of the town and state centennial celebration. However, the building proved to be too small to house the Museum collection.  The building is presently not used for anything, but it is an interesting feature in the center of town. (See Link 2 for photo of the Pump House.)

This  very weekend  the annual South East Spokane County Fair will be held in Rockford, Washington. All 413 residents plus guests from the Spokane area will be there to join in the festivities. The fair kicks off with a local parade in the town center, up West Emma Street to 1st Street.  The town's people decorate floats and throw candy to the crowd.  Children decorate their bikes.  Preschoolers walk with their moms.  The town's fair grounds near the corner of West Emma Street and 1st Street provides the setting for a petting zoo, farm animals on display, food stands, a covered eating area, a stage with bleacher seating, the Ag Building with displays, booths selling books and homemade crafts, and a few carnival rides.

Thank you: To Evelyn Fricke and Paul Gillespie for information
                         on the Pump House.
Photo: Taken in Rockford, Washington in 2007 by SW.
Link 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockford,_Washington                      
Link 2: http://rockford-wa.blogspot.com/

Sunday Church Feature

Mount Baker Presbyterian Church

Concrete, Washington

"Concrete is a town located in north-central Skagit County, Washington, United States. At the time of the 2000 census, the town's population was officially at 790 residents within the town-limits. The town of Concrete is included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area." (See Link.)

Mount Baker Presbyterian Church "Built in 1908 with a log-hewn outer structure. The church's first minister, Reverend L.C. Michaels did most of the carpentry work and assisted in bringing the logs for the construction down from the surrounding hills on horseback. Originally built for a capacity of 310, the full-basement houses a kitchen, restrooms, and meeting area. The building has been since remodled and some of the original log-structure no longer visible." (See Link.)

Photo: Taken in Concrete, Washington in September 2010.

Link 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete,_Washington
Note: For more about Concrete, Washington see Blog Post September 18, 2010
"Saturday Travel Feature, Concrete Grade School, Concrete, Washington."

Saturday Travel Feature

Concrete Grade School

Concrete, Washington

"The town of Concrete has undergone several incarnations, the earliest being a settlement at the northwestern junction of the Baker and Skagit Rivers, known as "Minnehaha". Amasa "Peg-Leg" Everett was one of the earliest settlers and in 1890, the townsite was platted by another settler, Magnus Miller. Shortly thereafter, a post office was established and the town name changed to "Baker". In 1905, a settlement across the Baker River came into being due to the building of the Washington Portland Cement Company and was named "Cement City". After the Superior Portland Cement Company plant was built in Baker in 1908, it was decided to merge the two towns.Inhabitants of the new community settled on the name "Concrete" and the town was so christened and officially incorporated on May 8, 1909....

"On April 27, 2008 at approximately 1:45 p.m., the historic Concrete grade school building was reported to be on fire and according to fire officials, was fully engulfed in flames within twenty minutes. Despite the efforts of five fire departments (including Concrete, Burlington, Sedro-Woolley and two rural fire districts), the building was a total loss. Not able to enter the intensely heated building, the firefighters could only contain the fire within the concrete exterior walls in order to keep it from spreading to the adjacent buildings and trees that are located around the structure's perimeter.Demolition: Demolition began on August 4, 2009.

"After investigation by the ATF, Skagit County Fire Marshall and the Skagit County Sheriff's office, officials determined that arson was the cause of the blaze. According to the Skagit County Sheriff's Department in a press release, three pre-teen boys admitted during an interview that they had been playing with lighters and set a mattress left inside the building on fire. The boys maintained that they believed the fire they started had been extinguished before exiting the building.[12]


"The twenty-year owner of the property had initially intended to remodel the exterior of the building with a castle motif. This plan, however, was abandoned sometime in the 1990s, and the property sat uninhabited and the remodel incomplete for an extended period of time. In the years before the fire destroyed the landmark, the building had become known to out-of-towners and locals alike as an eye-sore. Since the fire, the building has been slated for complete demolition. As of August 4, 2009, the long-awaited demolition of the buildings damaged by the fire began under the direction of Lautenbach Industries." (See Link.)

Demolition: Started August 4, 2009.
Photo: Taken in Concrete, Washington in September 2007.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete,_Washington

Sunday Church Feature
St. Mary's Catholic Church
Port Washington, Wisconsin

"Franklin Street in downtown Port Washington has several buildings with interesting features, but the highlight of this street scene is St. Mary's Catholic Church, which is located on a bluff that is high above the entire downtown area.



"The original St. Mary's church was a small frame church built in 1849. It was replaced with a stone church in. 1860. This limestone edifice was erected in 1882.


"Slatted windows on the four sides of the bell tower, which houses three church bells, are what makes them sound unusually rich and full as they are heard for miles around. In appreciation, the people of Port Washington, in 1885, donated a four dial clock that is also housed in the bell tower. The square tower changes to an eight sided spire and a simple cross is mounted at the tip of the spire. This cross, which is seven feet, eight inches tall, can be seen for miles out into Lake Michigan and has long been a guide for sailors.

Center Church Doors

"The church was completed at a cost of about $70,000 and was dedicated on Thursday, October 9, 1884." (See Link.)

See Blog Post August 7, "1860 Light Station", for more information on Port Washington Wisconsin.

Photos: Taken in Port Washington, Wisconsin in 2006 by SW.
Link: http://www.co.ozaukee.wi.us/history/StMary.htm

Saturday Travel Feature
1860 Light Station
Port Washington, Wisconsin


"Port Washington's first lighthouse was built on purchased land, in 1849. The land was bought from Henry and Emma Allen, for $200 in 1848 and includes the current site... The lighthouse rose 36-38 feet from the ground to the lantern. The lantern housed a 14" reflector and 5 fixed lamps. Lighthouse and keeper's dwelling were constructed of cream city brick... In 1856 the lantern was refitted with a sixth order lens, white light. Focal plane 36' above base of tower and 109' above sea level. Distance visible: 9 miles.


"By 1859 the lighthouse had to be replaced, possibly due to poor mortar or substandard bricks. This was the case at many sites around Lake Michigan...
The current lighthouse was completed in 1860... It appears that the old brick was salvaged and reused in the new construction... In Scott's New Coast Pilot, 1899 it reads, "Port Washington Light Station. A fixed white light, visible 18 1/4 miles, 4th order. Lantern on yellow brick dwelling, 40 feet high. A coast-light on the bluff in the north part of the town of Port Washington..." The tower on top of the dwelling was of beam construction. 8" x 8" beams rose from the attic to the lantern. The tower was supported by bearing walls on the first and second floors, with 8" x8" cross beams in the basement which rested on 3 brick piers and the front foundation. The lantern was cast iron, 9 sided. The cast iron frame was wainscoted below the glass panels. The lantern was made accessible via a stairway in the SW corner of the first floor and then a series of three ladder stairs rising from the second floor to the attic, attic to watch room and watch room to lantern deck.


"1889 Port Washington's first pier head lighthouse was built. It housed a sixth order fresnel lens and was a red fixed light. The light was exhibited for the first time on the night of September 15, 1889. It was powered by a gasoline generator. The "gas machine" was removed in 1902. At that time the lamps were converted to electricity and the sixth order lens replaced by "improved fifth order lamps." The lighthouse was a pyramidal wooden framework tower with upper portion enclosed. It had a cast iron lantern. Height of tower from base to center of ventilator ball, 42' 11". Focal plane: 36' 2". The tower was built by local contractors under the guidance of the Light-House Superintendent of this district.


"From September 15, 1889 to October 31, 1903 the light keeper, later with the help of an assistant, was responsible for keeping both lights lit.


"Light Station beacon was discontinued October 31, 1903.


"Lightkeeper Charles Lewis, Jr. retired in 1924. The pierhead light was automated and the city ran the fog siren from the water works. No keeper was needed.


"The tower and lantern were removed in 1934 when the new pierhead light was nearing completion. It was at this time that the entire light station was gutted and converted into a two family dwelling.


"Port Washington had either civilian or Coast Guard "keepers" manning the light until 1976 when the pierhead light was fully automated. It is now serviced by Coast Guard personnel out of Milwaukee and occasionally from Sheboygan..."(See Link.)

Restoration of the Light House began in 2001 and is now complete.

The small town of Port Washington is on highway 94 north of Milwaukee on the shores of Lake Michigan.


Photo: Taken in Port Washington, Wisconsin in 2006 by SW.

Link: http://www.portlightstation.org/restoration.htm