After a 1904 fire devastated the town, the four-story Skykomish Hotel was built at a cost of $10,000 and featured chandeliers, a fireplace, gambling room/bar and restaurant. Although the town’s population has decreased significantly from its heyday as a railroad center, a massive environmental remediation effort by the railroads is now giving the historic structures in Skykomish a potential shot in the arm. While most property owners hope this work can serve as a catalyst for revitalization, the Skykomish Hotel has remained vacant and largely neglected for several years, and further inattention will likely lead to insurmountable maintenance needs, leaving demolition as the only option.