Grants awarded to preservation projects throughout Washington

Each year the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation provides grants through the Valerie Sivinski Fund to organizations across the state that work to save the places that matter. The program embodies the mission of the Washington Trust by supporting preservation projects where they really happen – at the local level. Founded in 1976, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation is a private nonprofit organization with a mission to preserve Washington’s historic places through advocacy, education, collaboration, and stewardship.

Named for Valerie Sivinski, a beloved former board member of the Washington Trust who served as president in the early 1990s, the Fund was established in 1997 with the first grants awarded in 1998. This year’s grants mark the twentieth round of Valerie Sivinski Fund awards. Since its establishment, the Fund has awarded nearly $150,000 in cash grants and building assessment services to 142 projects across the state to local historic preservation organizations and advocates.

Recipients of the 2018 Valerie Sivinski Fund grant awards were publicly announced December 5 at the Washington Trust’s annual Valerie Sivinski Holiday Benefit held at the Stimson-Green Mansion, their landmark headquarters. The 2018 grants were awarded to the following organizations:

  • $350 to the College Hill Association to hire consultants to produce a nomination for the United Presbyterian Church to Pullman’s Register of Historic Places. The project is a partnership between the College Hill Association and a significant local developer who owns the church and it showcases historic preservation as a source community collaboration and neighborhood pride.
  • $2,000 to the Valley Historical Society to assist in moving the Valley Schoolhouse to a new location and onto a new foundation. The Valley Schoolhouse was listed as one of our 2017 Most Endangered Places and the Valley Historical Society has been working tirelessly to raise money to fund the move in preparation for the building’s eventual restoration.
  • $2,000 to the Northwest Schooner Society to restore the windows on the seaward face of the Keepers’ Quarters north unit of the Burrows Island Lighthouse Station. The Burrows Island station is located offshore of Anacortes and is the oldest substantially intact wooden lighthouse complex in the state.
  • $2,000 to the White River Valley Historical Society to fund the creation of a detailed Landscape Plan for Auburn’s Pioneer Cemetery. During the 20th Century, the cemetery was adopted as a burial place for Japanese immigrants and their American-born children. Today it remains a vital site with religious connections to the White River and Seattle Buddhist Temples and was honored in 2016 with King County and City of Auburn Landmark status.
  • $2,000 to the History and Archive Ministry of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church to support the designation of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church as a City of Seattle Landmark. The church is a rare example of Afrocentric architecture in Washington and is significant for the congregation’s impact in the community, most notably during the civil rights era under the leadership of Reverend Samuel Berry McKinney.

In addition to cash grants, for the third year running Artifacts Consulting has donated a pro bono building assessment as part of the grant program in honor of Valerie Sivinski who was a founding partner. This year’s building assessment is being awarded to:

  • Key Peninsula Historic Society and Museum for the Vaughn Library Hall. The assessment will assist in planning for the future construction and historic preservation needs of the hall which will eventually become a space for community events and artifact display.

To see or download images of the six award-winning projects, please visit: preservewa.org/sivinski


The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation is a statewide, tax exempt 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1976 to safeguard Washington’s historic places through advocacy, education, collaboration and stewardship. For additional information regarding the 2018 grant recipients or for information on our grants or contributing to the Valerie Sivinski Fund, please contact Jennifer Mortensen via email or by calling 206-624-9449.

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