Town rediscovers its past

Logging baron Charles Beardmore was a driving force behind Priest River’s early development and his Beardmore Block was at the center of it all – serving as the site of a general store, butcher shop, barbershop, apartments, offices, movie hall and all-around community gathering place.

But as timber’s domination over Priest River’s economy faded, so too did the Beardmore and downtown Priest River. Shops closed, businesses moved up to Highway 2 and the buildings began to decay.

Now, Beardmore’s 43-year-old great-grandson Brian Runberg is restoring the 1922 building and with it spurring renewed interest in the town’s historic downtown.

“The Beardmore was the catalyst for us thinking about what we could do for downtown,” said Priest River Mayor Jim Martin. “With Brian and his ability to come in and buy the building and renovate it, we’ll be bringing people back downtown.”

Runberg remembers having the run of the building as a child, crawling over old barber chairs, poking around in historic memorabilia and wandering around the old Rex Theater, where silent film star Nell Shipman premiered her movies.

Runberg’s sister, Kris Smith, has fond memories of the building as well. She’s now a history professor.

“I’ve found that these kinds of buildings have played a huge role in communities across the West,” Smith said.

The family sold the Beardmore in the 1970s, and life took Runberg around the world and eventually to Seattle, where he now owns an architecture firm. But Bonner County always pulled him back.

His family still vacations at its longtime Priest Lake homestead, and on one recent visit he looked at a real estate magazine and saw the Beardmore was up for sale.

A year of negotiating and $415,000 later, the Beardmore was his.

Runberg wouldn’t say how much renovations have cost. “I’ll just say it’s been a labor of love,” he said. “No one else would take this on without a personal connection. It makes absolutely no economic sense at all.”

Rehabilitation has focused on making the Beardmore a green building. Rainwater is directed from the roof to a basement cistern, and then used to flush toilets. Fixtures, stairs and other building materials were recycled from parts of the historic structure that had to be disassembled.

Photovoltaic panels will be placed on the roof.

Runberg would like to see a coffee shop, restaurant, offices and a basement pub move into the building.

Much of the family’s memorabilia now decorates the Beardmore lobby – historic photos and other objects are displayed in glass cases.

“It’s my hope when the community comes in here and sees this history, it prompts them to want to learn more,” Runberg said.

Priest River is already seeing other downtown investment, Martin said.

A nearby building is being turned into an Internet cafe, he said. The city has created an urban renewal district and is commissioning plans to open up its riverfront area.

It’s all part of the rebuilding downtown.

“When Highway 2 went in, everything moved up there and the downtown kind of died off,” Martin said.

The Beardmore project has suffered a few setbacks.

A beer truck crashed into the back of the building earlier this year, punching a large hole in the wall and sending Runberg scrambling to find the rare brick to repair the gaping wound. He eventually found the brick when a nearby building collapsed under the weight of heavy winter snow.

Also problematic was losing the original general contractor to bankruptcy, Runberg said. A replacement contractor has now stepped in to finish the project, but Runberg said he was left holding $250,000 in the old contractor’s debts to subcontractors and suppliers.

“It’s not in my nature to start something and give up,” he said.

The theater will be the last part of the building to be completed. Runberg has created a nonprofit foundation to fund its restoration.

He commissioned a series of private label wines from the Pend Oreille Winery to help raise money. Riverpig Red, Silent Screen Chardonnay and St. Elmo Merlot will be sold at local stores and restaurants.

Restoring the theater, which is currently in a shambles, will likely cost more than $800,000.

Once complete, however, it will serve as a community meeting space, bringing the Beardmore full circle.

“I think our great-grandparents would be very impressed by it,” Smith said. “For sure, Priest River wasn’t going to change until something was done with the building.”