Tekoa family opens kids’ boutique in former bank

Kelsey and Joy Clark inside Sweet Peaz

Recent transplants into Tekoa, Joy and Wes Clark, have found themselves a connection to the town’s financial district. Yesterday, they swung open the doors on a building that once was the location of Citizens State Bank on Crosby Street.

They have remodeled the building, which last housed an insurance agency, into Sweet Peaz, a children’s boutique.

When the Clarks moved to Tekoa from Enumclaw, they moved into a turn-of-the century house on top of the Main Street hill. The house at one time was the home of A.B. Willard, founding president of the Citizens State Bank.

“We had no idea he owned both of them until we saw his signature on some documents we found in the bank,” Joy Clark told the Gazette Monday. “But the way they’re built, I think both buildings must have been built by the same builders.”

For the next week, Sweet Peaz is observing a grand opening celebration complete with balloons, games and opening week specials.

Joy staffs the store with daughter-in-law Kelsey Clark.

Restoring the bank has been a labor of love over the past two-plus years. Over that time, they have applied a coat of key lime paint, restored woodwork trim and replaced the windows.

The Clarks previously operated a children’s clothing store in Enumclaw.

“We bought this gorgeous old building and thought we could re-open our store here,” said Joy Clark.

Inside, the store is stocked with tiny red-striped dresses, two-toned checkered shirts and blue and white wool pin-striped suits.

Joy said she loves children’s clothes, mostly because she can put them on their eight grandchildren.

“They’re so cute with their little feet,” said Joy.

The cute little feet of Tekoa customers will slide through pant legs and into new socks and shoes behind the massive steel door of the bank’s vault.

The Clarks set up the dressing room in the vault, but made sure the locking mechanism was not functional so parents can rest assured their children will not be locked inside.

In restoring the bank building, they removed two false suspended ceilings that were installed during the many incarnations of the Citizens State building.

Citizens State occupied the building until 1954, when it was turned into Tekoa’s Post Office. It was later the home of an insurance agency before sitting mostly vacant for the past decade-plus.

Hidden above the false ceilings were triangular pieces of wooden molding that round the top of the store, sandwiched between delicately carved cherubs that hang over racks and shelves of pint-sized apparel.

The Clarks also restored a wooden triangular arch above the interior entrance that frames a fantastic turn-of-the-century clock. Previous owners had cut into the archway to hold one of the false ceilings.

Using a picture of the building that was printed on an old Citizens State Bank check the Clarks found in the basement, they removed the divided windows and replaced them with new glass that matched the picture on the check.

And despite the allure of a vault, a counting room and upstairs bankers offices, the Clarks said they have no worry about potential pilferers.

“I don’t think we’ll see too many bandits in here,” said Joy. “The Hamburglar, though… maybe.”