County Seeks Historic Valley Sites

Nearly 1,400 Spokane County properties are listed on local, state or national historic registers.

Just six of them are in the Spokane Valley.

Despite the statistics, history is anything but scarce in the Valley, and local residents will have the opportunity today to help recognize and protect more of it.

The Spokane County Public Works Department is collecting information on what historic buildings and sites citizens would like to see preserved.

Valley sites already listed on a local, state or national historic register include the Royal Riblet House at Arbor Crest Winery, Opportunity Township Hall, Plante’s Ferry Park, the Hutton Settlement, the American Firebrick Company in Mica and the Horse Slaughter Camp Site on the Spokane River, just west of the state line.

A building or property need not be stately or awe-inspiring to be eligible for protection. It must have historic or architectural significance, and it must be at least 50 years old.

Even modest buildings can qualify, said Linda Yeomans, a historic preservation consultant and a member of Spokane Preservation Advocates, a volunteer group that repairs and improves historic properties.

The Valley’s distinct river-rock houses - most built in the 1920s and ‘30s using the smooth, cantaloupe-sized granite stones abundant in the area - would be eligible for historic designation, she said.

Private residences can qualify, along with churches, schools and industrial buildings, said Yeomans. Natural sites, such as rock formations, also are eligible.

The Valley’s most recent addition to the Spokane Register of Historic Places was the Opportunity Township Hall.

The 1912 stucco building at 12114 E. Sprague housed the Valley’s first public library, and hosted dances, weddings and silent movies.

The county is seeking input now because it’s preparing to update its historic preservation policies.

The update is part of an overhaul of the county’s comprehensive land use plan, which is needed to comply with the Growth Management Act.

Input collected today will be turned over to a work group consisting of county staff and citizen volunteers. The group will begin discussing historic preservation on Monday.

“The idea is to get citizens involved in the process,” said Yeomans.

Historic registers exist on the local, state and national level. Each level has its own requirements and benefits.

The local register provides the most protection, said Teresa Brum, director of Spokane’s city-county historic preservation office.

Once a property is placed on the Spokane register, its exterior cannot be altered unless the owner gets permission from the Spokane Historic Landmarks Commission. Owners who want to demolish their property must wait 90 days, during which time the commission negotiates for a better solution.

As a benefit, owners who spend money restoring a local historic site enjoy property tax breaks.

Today’s meetings in the Valley will include displays of current county historic sites.

“We’re hoping a lot of people will come,” said Brum.

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MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Hunting history Spokane County needs the public’s help to identify historic sites worthy of protection. It also wants to know how much Spokane-area citizens value preservation efforts. Two meetings today, both at the Argonne Library, 4322 N. Argonne, will also provide the public with information on the county’s historic preservation project, how it will be affected by the Growth Management Act, and what sites are currently protected. The meetings will run from noon to 2 p.m. and from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.