Redmond to Restore Historic Cabins
Two of the most visible remnants of Redmond's early history will get a $40,000 facelift in 2007. The Fullard House and Adair House log cabins, constructed in Anderson Park near downtown Redmond in 1938, will undergo safety upgrades and renovations to bring the buildings up to county and national historic preservation standards. Once the work is completed, the city hopes the buildings will earn landmark designation by the King County Landmarks Commission and perhaps national landmark or historic place status.
The cabins were constructed by the Works Progress Administration, a federal jobs program that eased the severe unemployment of the Great Depression. A local service club held several fundraisers to buy materials. The Fullard building served as the caretaker's facility for Anderson Park, which was Redmond's first public park. The Adair building hosted meetings. The Fullard House is built using a piece-on-piece construction method with vertical corner log posts with horizontal logs notched and stacked. The Adair House uses a traditional saddle notch construction. The Fullard House was named after Clarence Fullard, who organized the first Redmond Fire Department. He lived in the house from 1954 until his death in 1977. Adair House was named after the wife of William "Ezra" Sikes, an early Redmond resident who donated land for the 2.8 acre park.
Funded by money from the City of Redmond's "Community Treasures" account, the 2007 renovations will include repairs to water damage and removal of skylights, which were put in place around 1979. Work is scheduled to begin in the spring. Dianna Broadie, a senior planner at the city specializing in community character and historic preservation, says Redmond has few historic buildings remaining. "What's neat about these cabins is that they are so visible [in a public park]," she says. "You hear all the time that people are very attached to them."
For more information, contact Dianna Broadie, 425 556.2414, dbroadie@redmond.gov.
related links
|
