Inventory of county’s rock homes planned

The Spokane City/County Historic Preservation Office plans to inventory all the rock homes in the county, including Spokane Valley, where many of the oldest homes were constructed using river rock.

“We have this vernacular of buildings that are very early homes, using all native materials,” said Emily Vance, preservation project employee with the Historic Preservation Office. “We will try to locate as many of them as we can.”

Some inspiration for the project came from a story on Spokane Valley river-rock homes that ran in The Spokesman-Review in November 2014.

That story included an interactive map that allowed owners of river rock homes to self-report their houses, including a photo.

Vance said the upcoming survey is about both residential and business properties.

“Many people were upset when that restaurant in the Valley was torn down,” Vance said, referring to the demolition of the Old Plantation on the corner of Vista Road and East Sprague Avenue. “That really touched a nerve.”

The demolition also spurred Spokane Valley to look at creating its own historic preservation ordinance.

After several Spokane Valley city staff presentations before the City Council, the proposed preservation ordinance was put on hold until April while the Valley finishes its update for its long-term guide for growth, the comprehensive plan.

Jayne Singleton, director of the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum, said she’s disappointed the ordinance is on hold.

“I don’t know why it seems so difficult to understand that the ordinance would be voluntary,” Singleton said. “I’m not sure what exactly the holdup is.”

To offer a tax incentive to people who want to preserve and restore old buildings, Spokane Valley would have to become a certified local government and follow guidelines issued by the National Park Service, which regulates historic preservation.

Singleton hopes the Spokane Valley ordinance gets another chance, and she said she’s excited and supportive of the rock home inventory.

“We have so much research to share,” Singleton said.

Early rock home research was done by Spokane Valley resident Don Rhodewalt in the mid-1990s. He documented about 15 river-rock homes in Spokane Valley before he died in 1996.

Rhodewalt’s research is on file at the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum.

Vance said consultants will be hired to help with the inventory project, but she expects homeowners will be able to submit photos and documentation as well.

The inventory should begin before the end of the year.

Significant river and lava rock walls, pillars and other rock structures may also be included, Vance said.

“We have lots of notes and photos,” Vance said, “now we are working on determining the method and on what should be included.”