Summary

This year’s recipients of the John D. Spellman Awards for Exemplary Achievement in Historic Preservation includes a team that restored the iconic Saint Edward Seminary along Lake Washington, an archaeologist who has protected cultural artifacts for three decades, and North Bend entrepreneurs who transformed an historic building into a vibrant downtown brewery.

Story

King County Executive Dow Constantine today announced the winners of the 21st Annual John D. Spellman Awards for Exemplary Achievement in Historic Preservation.

This year’s award recipients represent a wide range of achievements, including a multidisciplinary team that transformed the Saint Edward Seminary along Lake Washington into a spectacular hotel, spa, and meeting venue, an archeologist whose three decades of volunteer work helped preserve and interpret historic artifacts, and the dedicated owners of a Vashon Island movie theater that has brought the community together since 1947.

“We honor those who revive, restore, and reimagine the places that tell the story of this special corner of the country,” said Executive Constantine. “The winners of this year’s John D. Spellman Awards have done more than preserve structures from the 19th and 20th centuries. They have brought historic places back to life for a new generation to experience and enjoy.”

Recipients of the 21st John D. Spellman Awards for Exemplary Achievement in Historic Preservation are:

• Vashon Theatre, where first-run movies have been shown and community events have been hosted since 1947.  Owners Eileen and Gordon Wolcott were honored in the Legacy Business category for their creative spirit, tireless stewardship, and community engagement, which has kept this mainstay business in Vashon’s town center thriving.
  VIDEO: Vashon Theater, a community icon for nearly 75 years
  
  
• Volition Brewing for the outstanding rehabilitation of Glazier’s Dry Goods Store in downtown North Bend for new use as Volition Brewing Company. The dynamic partnership of property owner Craig Glazier and the entrepreneurial Volition Brewing Team - Lucas and Jamie Haines, Matthew Sherman, and Ayla Lukascik – were recognized for bringing new vibrancy to North Bend’s commercial core, making it an even more inviting place to gather. 
  VIDEO: An old North Bend shop gets a second life
  
  
• The Lodge at Saint Edward State Park, a stunning, large-scale rehabilitation project that saved and transformed the threatened 1931 Saint Edward Seminary in Kenmore. Daniels Real Estate, the city of Kenmore, and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission were honored for exemplary achievement in partnering to rehabilitate this monumental building for new use as a hotel, spa, and meeting venue and ensure its future in this remarkable setting.
  VIDEO: Seminary transformed into The Lodge at Saint Edward State Park
  
  
• Lorelea Hudson for her volunteer service and commitment to advancing public understanding of our cultural heritage, which has made a lasting impact on our community. An archaeologist, Hudson was honored for her three decades of leadership, mentorship, and service in identifying and protecting cultural artifacts in our region and interpreting the history they represent.
  VIDEO: Pacific Northwest archeologist unearths treasures in trash

Jennifer Meisner, King County’s Historic Preservation Officer, acknowledged owners, stewards, and supporters of the following recently landmarked properties during the awards ceremony on Jan. 27:

• The Maple Valley Historical Society for nominating the W.D. Gibbon General Store for designation as a City of Maple Valley landmark. Now operated as a community museum, this 1894 building is one of the oldest surviving commercial buildings in the Maple Valley area and an excellent example of the Western Falsefront type, commonly associated with late 19th and early 20th century settlement of the American West.
  VIDEO: Preserving the W.D. Gibbon General Store
  
  
• Erick and Paula Haakenson for nominating the Angerer Farm Hay Barn Complex near Carnation for designation as a King County landmark. Historic features of this property, now known as Jubilee Farm, include a 1957 hay barn, a 1962 loafing shed, and a machine shed – all reflecting broad changes in agricultural practices following World War II.
  VIDEO: Preserving the Angeer Farm Hay Barn Complex
  
  
• Breffni McGeough for nominating the Weiss Store for designation as a King County landmark. The Weiss Grocery Store was built in 1928 at the intersection of Vashon Highway Southwest and Southwest Bank Road at the center of Vashon town. Now known as Vashon Landing, this building helps tell the story of Vashon Island’s commercial development and continues to contribute to the vitality of the island’s downtown core.
  VIDEO: Preserving the Weiss Grocery Store
  
  
• Shoreline Preservation Society for nominating the Naval Hospital Chapel for designation as a City of Shoreline landmark. Built in 1944, this Tudor Revival style building is the first Interdenominational chapel constructed at a naval hospital. It is significant for its association with the Seattle Naval Hospital through World War II, followed by the Firland Sanitorium, which housed more than 400 tuberculosis patients. The chapel continues to serve the Fircrest School, which moved onto the hospital grounds in 1959.
  VIDEO: Preserving the Naval Hospital Chapel in Shoreline
  
  
• Aubrey Aramaki for nominating Coutts Garage for designation as a City of Issaquah landmark. Recognizing the commercial potential of catering to the influx of automobile travelers, in 1923 Cornelius Coutts built his triangle-shaped masonry garage to serve the increasing automobile travel through Issaquah on the newly paved section of the Sunset Highway - the state’s east-west route over the Cascade Mountains connecting Seattle to Spokane.
  VIDEO: Preserving Coutts Garage
  
  
• Jamie Merriman-Cohen, Sarah Steen, and the Fall City Historical Society for updating the King County landmark nomination for the 1888 Fall City Hop Shed to tell a more inclusive story. The original landmark nomination was missing key information about the former Snoqualmie Tribe Village site on which the Hop Shed sits, as well as the history of significant immigrant Chinese and Tribal member participation in the 1880s-90s “hops craze.” 
  VIDEO: Preserving the Fall City Hop Shed

The King County Historic Preservation Program was established in 1978 by County Executive John D. Spellman to identify, document, and protect King County’s significant historic resources. 

The program staffs a nine-person Landmarks Commission, conducts environmental reviews in cooperation with other agencies and jurisdictions, manages a regional preservation program in partnership with numerous suburban cities, maintains an inventory of historic resources, and develops and implements incentives to support and encourage restoration and rehabilitation of historic properties.

Relevant links

• VIDEO PLAYLIST: 21st Annual John D. Spellman Awards for Achievement in Historic Preservation
• King County Historic Preservation Program

Quotes

We honor those who revive, restore, and reimagine the places that tell the story of this special corner of the country. The winners of this year’s John D. Spellman Awards have done more than preserve structures from the 19th and 20th centuries. They have brought new life to historic places for a new generation to experience and enjoy.

For more information, contact:

Doug Williams, Department of Natural Resources and Parks, 206-477-4543