LaCrosse secures grant for rock houses

In another step to establish an Ice Age floods museum and a visitor's center, LaCrosse Community Pride was been awarded a grant to stabilize and secure rock houses which the group obtained earlier this year. They received notice they will receive a $750 Valerie Sivinski Washington Preserves Fund grant Wednesday, Dec. 9. The funds will be used to preserve the buildings until the time comes for further restoration work.

“Every little bit helps,” said Peggy Bryan, who applied for the grant.

Bryan said the rock houses have been deteriorating for some time, and some of the rocks have fallen off the houses.

“The buildings are in need of repair,” she said. “We are going to use this grant to preserve and secure the structures as they are. We want it to be safe.”

Bryan said the work to be done to stabilize and secure the structures will be installing posts, support for the awning, stabilize the rocks and repair and replace doors.

She added that this is an important step forward toward reaching the ultimate goal to establish the Ice Age floods museum.

“We would like to increase tourism to our small town,” she said. “This museum would be the only Ice Age museum in the area.”

The rock houses were constructed in the early 1930s from basalt stones from the local fields, Bryan said. The stones were carried to the area by the Ice Age floods.

Bryan said it is believed the three bunk houses were used for railroad workers and other travelers and that the three larger structures were used as homes. One of the stone structures, which was used as a service station, is the largest of the structures, and it would be the one to be converted to the museum and visitor's center.

“I think it would lend itself well,” Bryan said of that structure.

Bryan said she is continuing to look for grants and any avenue that will help the LCP project.

“I am looking for grants anywhere I can,” she said.

One of her next steps will be to apply through the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation – the same group that awarded the Valerie Sivinski grant – to have the houses listed on the state's 10 most endangered buildings for 2016.

“I think that would create an awareness and interest,” said Bryan.

A spot on that list would enable the group to work more closely with the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation to preserve the buildings and convert them for future use. Other Whitman County structures have previously made the list, including the St. Ignatius Hospital, which was listed earlier this year.

Other Whitman County structures to make the list include the 1992 listing of the Leonard Round Barn on the Old Pullman-Moscow Road (which was ultimately saved in 1996), and the 1993 listings of the Endicott school (which was demolished in 1994) and the Powers Opera House in Palouse (which was partially demolished in 1995).

In addition to the grant award Wednesday, design students at WSU also presented their proposals for Ice Age museum and visitor's center the same day.

“They had some amazing designs,” said Bryan. “We will take a look at those before we proceed.”

Bryan said one of the ideas presented there was to create a “pop-up” museum prior to the establishment of the actual museum. This would allow the group to form a temporary, small and traveling museum while they work to convert the rock houses.

“We would love to do that until we are able to get the station renovated,” she said.

Bryan added that a lot of visitors come to town to take pictures of the structures. She hopes that the addition of the museum and visitor's center can bring more visitors.

“I think the two blend really well together,” she said. “I think people would travel there and stop at the store and use the bank and the café.”

The café does not currently have an operator, but LCP is actively seeking one.

“We are open to all suggestions, and we don't have a set design of what we want to do,” Bryan said of the café. “We have had a lot of inquiries, and when it happens, it will happen fast.”

Bryan also said the effort to bring a café operator to town, the work on the rock houses and all other LCP efforts “all fit together.”

There is no specific timeline for the establishment of the museum and visitor's center, but Bryan did say she is grateful for the community input and support.

“That is really key to us to have community support,” she said.

In addition to the community support, she said she is also grateful for the organizations which have supported LCP.

“We are very appreciative to the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation for this grant,” she said. “We are very excited about it. It is an honor to get this award.”