LaCrosse Rock Houses and Station

Status: Most Endangered Places

Year Listed: 2016

Location: La Crosse, Whitman County

Local businessman Clint Dobson is credited with building the unique collection of structures known as the LaCrosse rock houses and station between 1934 and 1936. The project included three houses, three cabins, and a service station with all buildings prominently featuring basalt stones collected from the surrounding fields. Dobson was not a master stone mason, rather, basalt stone was the most readily available material in the area during the Great Depression.

Local farm hands, workers, and railroad crews used the houses and cabins as rental units, while the station offered a service and repair shop. Although the structures have not been in use since the 1960s, amazingly all but one of the houses remain. Those remaining buildings, however, are in critical danger of collapse if they do not receive repairs to stabilize and secure the stone and structural elements.

Hope for rehabilitation increased when a local family gifted the property to LaCrosse Community Pride, which enjoys a strong track record of successful community development projects in town. Following the closure of the town’s only grocery store, LaCrosse Community Pride embarked on an effort to re-invent that site as an ongoing enterprise and community center. Today, the building houses a new grocery store, the local library, a community meeting space, and two rentable office spaces. The group also organized efforts to return a bank to the town when the local branch closed: they purchased the bank building, secured a new tenant to run the bank, and are currently working to find another tenant for the adjacent café.

The Washington Trust was proud to support LaCrosse Community Pride in rebuilding one of the stone cabins through a Valerie Sivinski Fund grant. Now they are fundraising for the rehabilitation of the remaining buildings and just last month were recommended to receive a state Heritage Capital Grant to realize their vision of creating a heritage museum and Ice Age floods center in the service station along with places for visitors to stay in the homes and bunkhouses.

https://lacrossecommunitypride.com/

Valley Schoolhouse

Status: Saved!

Year Listed: 2017

Location: Valley, Stevens County

Valley, Washington’s “Little White Schoolhouse,” as it is known by locals, was built in 1916 as an annex for the original 1905 schoolhouse on the property. A brick schoolhouse was built in 1917 and expanded in 1926, but of the three historic buildings, only the annex remains. The schoolhouse served the school district in a variety of capacities through the years, but is currently vacant. District officials nonetheless hope to see it preserved as does the Valley Historical Society, which is making plans for relocating the building to a new site where its preservation and restoration for the community will continue.

Led by passionate local advocate Melissa Silvio, the Valley Historical Society spent three years rallying funds to move the schoolhouse, using every avenue including private donations, grants (including our own Valerie Sivinski Fund!), and even a recipe book sale. On July 15, 2020, house movers Jeff Monroe and Don Shaw successfully moved the schoolhouse to the Valley Fairgrounds and is in the process of receiving a new foundation. There’s still a lot to be done to realize the Valley Historical Society’s vision of creating a community center that will feature historical displays and interpretation, local art, and space for events and meetings.

Downtown Walla Walla Foundation

Year Listed: 2017

Our mission is to promote the history, culture, and commerce in downtown Walla Walla. Our purpose is to maintain a comprehensive downtown revitalization strategy following the Main Street Four-Point Approach structure, which includes implementing a balance of activities in the areas of organization, promotion, design, and economic restructuring, In the course of our duties we produce events, coordinate with all the other economic development organizations and governments, act as fiscal agent for the Small Business Development Center, strengthen the downtown by soliciting retailers and businesses, make every effort to improve the infrastructure of the downtown, and work to increase friends and membership to our foundation.

Region: East

Contacts

Mallory Nash, Executive Director

509-529-8755

Address

109 East Main, Suite 302T
Walla Walla, WA 99362

https://www.downtownww.com/

Historic Downtown Prosser Association

Year Listed: 2017

A nonprofit organization formed in 2006 by community members dedicated to the preservation, enhancement, and revitalization of Prosser’s downtown core.

Region: East

Contacts

Melinda De Santo, Executive Director

509-786-2399

Address

1230 Bennett Ave
Prosser, WA 99350

http://historicprosser.com/

Downtown Moses Lake Association

Year Listed: 2017

Improving the economic development of the Moses Lake business community through organization, promotion, design, and economic restructuring.

Region: East

Contacts

Mallory Miller, Executive Director

509-770-1700

Address

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 1201

Moses Lake, WA 98837

Physical Address:

124 E. Third Avenue, Ste. 212

Moses Lake, WA 98837


				      https://www.downtownmoseslake.org/

Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership

Year Listed: 2017

The mission of the Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership is to enhance the downtown’s economic prosperity and vitality and to preserve its history through community partnerships.

Region: East

Contacts

Stephanie Button, Executive Director
509-582-7221

Address

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 6552
Kennewick, WA 99336

Physical Address:
30 N Benton Street
Kennewick, WA 99336

http://historickennewick.org/

Dayton Development Task Force

Year Listed: 2017

Our mission is to encourage, support, or sponsor a variety of activities and/or projects that will improve Dayton by encouraging public and private development of properties within the Dayton business district. We promote Dayton as the historical, financial, commercial, cultural, recreational, and residential center of Columbia County.

Region: East

Contacts

Belinda Larsen, Executive Director
509-382-4825

Address

202 E. Main Street
Dayton, WA 99328

https://www.historicdayton.com/dayton-development-task-force

Colfax Downtown Association

Year Listed: 2017

Revitalizing historic Downtown Colfax by supporting existing and new businesses, encouraging quality design, and promoting a welcoming environment.

Region: East

Contacts

Whitney Bond, Executive Director
509-288- 9063

Address

Mailing Address:
203 North Main Street
Colfax, WA 99111

Physical Address:
PO Box 724
Colfax, WA 99111

https://colfaxdowntownassociation.com/