The Mayor has presented awards for the preservation of three Anacortes buildings; one home and 2 downtown businesses.
Mayor Dean Maxwell presented awards to (from left, above) Craig & Beth Clark, The Mercantile; Daphne & Richard Storwick, The W.A. Lowman House; and Mike Trafton, with Bank of the Pacific.
Each year the Anacortes Historic Preservation Board recognizes individuals and organizations who have undertaken significant efforts to preserve the community’s historic resources. The Board said “this year’s recipients have each shown vision and leadership in adapting, restoring, and preserving key local landmarks.“
“Given that the National Trust’s theme for preservation month is ‘This Place Matters,’ our awards for 2009 are particularly appropriate,” noted Steve Oakley, Museum Director and City liaison to the Board. “We want people to realize that local, everyday places—our homes, movie houses, downtown commercial buildings, schools—are treasures in their own right and are just as important as Monticello, Ford’s Theater, or other national icons.”
The awards and the citations from the Historic Preservation Board:
The Bank of the Pacific
The Bank of the Pacific, located at 801 Commercial Avenue, was recognized for its adaptive reuse of the former Paramount Theater. Mike Trafton, the Anacortes Branch Manger who spearheaded the project, accepted the award on behalf of the bank. The Paramount Theater was built by Wally Funk, Sr. between 1928 and 1929 and opened for business in February 1930. It was the first movie theater to offer talking pictures in Skagit County and was one of the most advanced theaters of its time. Although some adaptations were necessary to meet the needs of a modern bank, the overall exterior remains quite intact—even the new Bank of the Pacific neon sign is modeled after the original one for the Paramount. Today, the building remains an important reminder of our City’s past.
The Lowman House
Although the William and Beatrice Lowman House had already been converted into apartments when Richard and Daphne Storwick purchased the building in 1989, their award is for their meticulous maintenance and efforts to preserve and restore distinctive elements of this 1907 Old Town landmark. Designed by Adam Dillings, a local builder and brother-in-law of Will Lowman, the house was prominently sited and designed to impress—a home befitting a successful entrepreneur. Today, the building, located at 701 K Street, retains its distinctive appearance, and many of its rich interior details have been refurbished, thanks to the careful stewardship of the Storwicks.
The Merchantile
The third 2009 Preservation Award is for Craig and Beth Clark for their efforts to restore the building housing their business, The Mercantile, which is located at 709 Commercial Avenue. Early tenants included the photographer Charles Judd, whose house is on the Anacortes Register of Historic Places, and Trulson and Haegen Paint. Over time, however, the building deteriorated and underwent a number of changes to the point where the original façade was unrecognizable. In 2006 the Clarks began uncovering windows, lighting fixtures, and the original ceiling. They also made a number of structural repairs, which will greatly extend the useful life of the building. The care with which the Clarks restored their building serves as a model for what vision and hard work can accomplish.
The Anacortes Historic Preservation Board is a five-member volunteer board appointed by the City Council. Visit their Web site.