Historic status befits Nettleton’s

As you walk through Nettleton’s Addition in Spokane’s West Central neighborhood, you can easily imagine what it was like to walk through it in 1910. Seventy percent of the homes in the addition were built by then, and most still retain their welcoming front porches. The trees look as if they’ve proudly shaded residents for the past century and intend to try for a century more.

On Dean Avenue, which runs through the heart of the addition, you can still touch streetcar tracks. The area was named after William Nettleton, who developed the streetcar system that connected the neighborhood to the rest of Spokane.

There is history in every step. So it is fitting that the addition has been nominated for National Historic District honors. State officials will hold a hearing in June, and, if the state gives its go-ahead, the nomination will go to the National Parks Service for final approval.

“The national district designation is largely educational. However, it lays the foundation for other incentives if property owners want to pursue them,” said Kevin Brownlee, who lives in the West Central neighborhood and works for the city of Spokane in its community development department.

The designation will also provide a symbolic boost for the area, which has worked for years to upgrade its streets, houses – and its image. It is still an area in which tidy, restored craftsman bungalows sit next door to homes with boarded-up windows and falling-in roofs.

“People have strong opinions about West Central who’ve never been into the neighborhood,” Brownlee said. “I met numerous people who wanted to purchase a home in West Central but someone had talked them out of it.”

Those who have purchased and refurbished homes in the area are rewarded with walkable sidewalks, flower gardens in numerous front yards and an easy saunter to Summit Boulevard overlooking the Spokane River. And, of course, there is history everywhere.

Brownlee said Louis Davenport’s son attended Holmes Elementary School, which is still part of Nettleton’s Addition.

“He arrived by taxi each day from the hotel, and the other children fought over his lunch because it was prepared by the hotel’s chef,” Brownlee recounted in an e-mail.

Unlike most modern suburban developments, Nettleton’s Addition is tailor-made for the kind of close community feel that many folks long for. The homes sit close together along tree-shaded streets. Residents sit on wide porches, wave to neighbors and strike up conversations. Kudos to the neighborhood and preservation advocates who worked in collaboration with city-county staffers and financial partners to produce the nomination package. The time and hard work were worth it.

The National Historic District designation will build pride for the area’s rich past and allow residents to strive for an equally rich future.