Sammamish's Reard/Freed House to Get Prominent New Location
July 2, 2008 — One of the oldest residences and earliest government buildings in eastern King County will be moved to a new location in the heart of the fast-growing Sammamish Plateau. The Reard/Freed House, built circa 1890 and the original headquarters of a local water district, will find a new home close to Pine Lake, near Sammamish City Hall, according to local preservationists. "The house is a portal to the [original settler's] lives and this would be a way for telling those stories," says Nan Gordon of the Sammamish Heritage Society.
The two-story pioneer farmhouse is currently located at 212th Avenue Southeast, just north of Southeast 20th Street in Sammamish. The house was built on a post and beam foundation with a high-pitched gable. The gable ends are decorated with octagonal wood shingles. Most of the windows are plainly trimmed double-hung sash. The house was constructed approximately 1890 on 80 acres of land purchased by Jacob D. Reard. A later owner, O.L. Skogman, invited his neighbors to dances in the large room on the upper floor. In 1930, Oscar Freed acquired the property, and after he helped establish the first public water district in the area, he used the house as the district headquarters.
Listed on the King County Historic Resource Inventory, the farmhouse has changed little over the years. However, the surrounding area has grown dramatically, and the house was threatened with demolition when developers purchased the property. After a campaign by local residents, the City of Sammamish agreed in 2004 to spend $250,000 restoring the structure, including moving it to a new location in downtown Sammamish.
Preservationist hope to complete the move later this year, which may include cutting the house in half. Gordon says that may be the only practical way to transport the building and maintain its integrity. Supporters of the Reard/Freed House plan to re-use the residence as a visitors center and a headquarters for the local chamber of commerce.
For more information on the Reard/Freed House, contact Nan Gordon, 425-836-7810.
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