History in the making
RATHDRUM – Two new buildings destined for Rathdrum’s historic core won’t alter the flavor of the two downtown blocks of small brick storefront buildings.
Both buildings are designed to be architecturally compatible with others in the historic district, which in 2005 got a boost with Juanita Carmack’s renovation of a 1902 drugstore to house her new business, The Salsa Factory. Other business owners are also renovating their historic structures, preserving pieces of Rathdrum’s past.
Last week, scaffolding for a two-story, 7800-square-foot brick building went up next door to Carmack, across from City Hall. Local resident and architect Paul Matthews plans to relocate his business, Pasold Matthews Architects, to Rathdrum from the Spokane Valley.
The new building sits on the site of the former Russell Hotel, which was razed in Rathdrum’s 1924 fire. The fire, said to have begun in the hotel, destroyed 55 stores and residences, some of which were three stories high. Matthews has designed his building to fit in with design elements of 1920s-era structures nearby, and it will include additional commercial space for lease and six parking spaces in the rear.
Anthony Papetti, of A & J Automotive, a 17-year resident on Main Street, also recently decided to build a new building. He envisioned something with a Western theme. Town officials wanted something compatible with existing buildings, so Papetti contacted Matthews to help design a false front for his current business, a Quonset hut, and design a new two-story building to the east.
Matthews’ design, a board-and-batten building, has received final approval, and Papetti hopes to break ground within the next week or two. Entry to the new downstairs shop will be from the rear; the second floor will contain office space.
Other historic Main Street buildings are seeing changes as well.
The Hart Block, originally built in 1892, was lost in the 1924 fire. It was rebuilt using some of the original walls and served as a bank and general store for many years. Today, the building is home to Westwood Saloon, which has recently undergone renovations.
The small building just west of City Hall, historically known as the Poleson Block, has recently been sold. The talk is the 1924 building, once home to W.A. Poleson’s barbershop in the east bay and the Pioneer Market to the west, will soon be renovated.
A 1999 Downtown Revitalization Plan and Rathdrum’s 2002 Comprehensive Plan both detail the importance of the city’s heritage and recommend protecting its historic properties. Residents continue to recognize the importance of the downtown area, said City Planner Chris Riffe, who has noted residents’ interest in protecting the heritage and small-town feel of Rathdrum during workshops held for the comprehensive plan update.
“This new building and the false front on the old one (Papetti’s buildings) are really going to enhance downtown,” Riffe said. “They should please those who worked on the city’s planning groups because they follow the vision they conceived.”
With recent sidewalk improvements, renovated historic buildings and thoughtfully designed new structures along Main Street, the revitalization of Rathdrum’s city center seems to be well under way.
“Every legitimate, viable town needs to have a sense of center – it needs to have a beginning place – and Main Street is the beginning place for Rathdrum,” Matthews said. “It was the first street in Rathdrum, it was the old Northern Pacific whistle-stop, and it’s where Wyatt Earp hung his hat when he came to town. We must not lose our history and the sense of place that comes from that. We should never give up on downtown Rathdrum.”