Colfax HPC hosts show

COLFAX – Colfax Historic Preservation Commission has been working on a grant for a Historic Inventory of south Mill, Canyon, and a portion of South-Central Main Street.

There will be a presentation on the findings this Thursday, August 18, at the Methodist Church located at 109 South Mill Street from 6 to 8 p.m.

Frank White, a member of the Historic Preservation Commission, and the Whitman County Historical Society explained that the commission has been working on the project for about 6 months.

“We went over the first four blocks of south main street and dug into the history of the various buildings there, and wrote it all down and we’re presenting it to the public,” White said.

A few other buildings were included as well, White explained. The Roxy/Rose Theater was at the current location of Legends barbershop and Friends of Hospice, 105 and a half and 111 East Canyon Street.

The Potlach number 1 Credit Union (P1FCU) located at 505 South Main Street has been various banks, going back to Lincoln Savings and Loan, which was first built there in the 1960’s. White explained that before that there was a church at the location. Further explaining that they chose buildings that were unusual, including them in the inventory as well.

The Main Street School was south of where the Colfax Laundromat, located at 403 South Main Street, on the high section of Main Street which two houses currently occupy.

“In addition to the Mill Street inventory,” White said, “we looked at a dozen or so buildings, building remnants, or locations in that general area that were of unusual interest and investigated them.”

The presentation will include the findings of the historical buildings listed, and more. “Assuming it is not too hot there will a walking tour of some of the buildings featured in the inventory,” White said, the buildings on mill street will be in the tour. As well as, “some of the other buildings in town that you may have seen but never talked about.”

White explained that the Historic Preservation Commission seeks to “consolidate and write down the history of the Colfax area so it’s not lost,” also reminding those that will attend there will be refreshments.