Chalet Home Nominated For Historic Registers

One look at the Swiss chalet of Brian Westmoreland is enough to inspire images of alphorns and lederhosen.

The 1912 chalet may not be located in the Alps, but it fits naturally among the basalt and firs of the rugged hillside near Lincoln Park.

So there are no cows living in the basement or rocks on the roof. This is the American version of the chalet, a romantic expression of traditional Swiss architecture.

“Everyday when I turn in the driveway, I can’t believe I live here,” said Westmoreland.

“It’s just so classic. I love the purity.”

The house is so unique that Westmoreland is seeking to have it listed on the local, state and national registers of historic places.

Last week, the Spokane Landmarks Commission voted unanimously to recommend the chalet for the lists.

It is located at 1824 S. Mount Vernon.

“I could go on and on about this house,” said commission member Stephen Emerson. “It’s a beautiful house. It has so many unique features.”

On the outside, the three levels rise from intricate stone masonry to the decorative exterior woodwork and low-pitched gabled roof.

Inside, a raised fireplace in the middle of the main floor creates a focal point for the wide living space, adorned by a profusion of natural wood.

Divided-light windows illuminate the house during the day. At night, an extensive collection of Craftsman-era light fixtures creates a candlelight-dinner mood.

Westmoreland bought the house in 1997 after much of the interior had been restored. Photographs were used to replace woodwork that had been removed or discarded.

Pieces of the plate rail were discovered in a small garage on the property and returned to the interior.

Carpeting was pulled, and the hardwood maple floors refinished.

One of the former owners is Jeff Lofton, who runs the Luminaria antique light shop downtown. He installed the light fixtures and worked on the restoration.

Westmoreland said his latest work has focused on restoring the gardens, stone walls and gates that ringed the property originally.

“I really feel comfortable we are getting as authentic as you can get,” he said of the restoration.

A 1976 Ferris graduate, Westmoreland got into historic preservation several years ago when he bought a Craftsman bungalow on West 23rd Avenue.

The self-employed businessman now serves on the Historic Preservation Committee of the Eastern Washington State Historical Society.

“It just grew on me,” he said of his appreciation for homes of the era. “I find a lot of solace in old houses, a lot of quiet, a lot of safety.”

He has hosted semipublic events at the chalet, and the house was included on the Mother’s Day tour of historic homes in 1997.

If Westmoreland succeeds in getting the house on the national register, it will be only the second single-family home in Spokane to qualify by itself for the national list.

Other Spokane homes are on the national register as part of historic districts.

Swiss chalet is a distinct architectural style that became popular in the late 1800s but has few surviving examples here.

“This is one of the most unique homes in all of Spokane,” said preservation consultant Linda Yeomans.

“It represents a style rarely seen in America. It’s one of a kind.”

The American version of the Swiss chalet differs from the European style principally in the exterior construction.

Westmoreland’s home is built conventionally and sided with dark-stained rough-cut pine boards. Notched timbers are added to the corners to create an illusion of log construction.

European examples of the chalet were built from hewn timbers that interlocked at the corners.

Otherwise, they share the use of overhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails and a wraparound second-floor balcony with carved balustrade to match the entry-level porch.

The home was originally built by Carl C. Koerner, who came to Spokane from Indiana and worked as an accountant, auditor and chief clerk for several businesses.

The house is similar to the chalet that famed architect Kirtland Cutter designed for himself, which was called Chalet Hohenstein. That home has been torn down.

It is also similar to the Cutter chalet that served as the Idaho state building at the Chicago World Exposition in 1893.

The Koerner house is believed to have been designed by a European-traveled draftsman named Peter Moe, who worked in conjunction with prominent Spokane architect Carl Jabelonsky.

While elements of the chalet style were incorporated into many Craftsman bungalows in the early 1900s, the Koerner home is one of only four authentic examples surviving in Spokane today, Yeomans said.