Friday, June 20, 2008
Ward Building Update
Various volunteers who advise the Lakewood City Council about land use, parks and landmarks climbed the hill at Fort Steilacoom this week to see what's left after demolition of the Hill Ward building. The volunteers are part of a group advising the city about how to care for Fort Steilacoom Park. The group is known popularly as the "Tri-Board," representatives each from three different city advisory committees: the land use, parks and landmarks committees.
This week, they met to talk about, among other things, how improvements are going at the Hill Ward site. The group also talked about signs that would interpret the history of the park; more on that in a minute.
If you are physically able, I suggest you make the walk. Go see what the place looks like now that the derelict building is gone. It's amazing how the feel of the place has changed.
The only camera I had was in my cell phone. As I got it ready to take shots this week, I realized I had totally forgotten that I had a photo of the old building stored in the phone. I must have shot this old photo last winter right after I got the phone.
The building was, of course, an amazingly picturesque death trap, and had to come down. You can dive a bit deeper into the subject through my old blog posting on the topic.The resulting mound of dirt follows the shape of the old building, while still leaving behind the various first-floor stairways allowing for a bit of climbing (and a bit of area for people to still paint graffiti late at night. Frankly, the building has been a graffitti showcase for much longer than it was ever a functioning hospital building)
Sadly, my cell phone camera was not up to the task of capturing the good weather and sharp scenery last week, but here are some shots of the view and the committee:
And yes indeed, the gent on the left in that last photo is Steve Dunkelberger, who co-authored the Lakewood history book. Steve is a volunteer with the city's Landmarks and Heritage Advisory Board.
The plan is to rim the outline of the mound - the outline of the building - with a large wood trim perimeter that would allow seating. There will be a labyrinth in one part of the field. It should be a lovely place for meditation and reflection. And old remnants of the building that did not crumble will be etched with brief information about the history of the hill, for benefit of our and future generations. Of course, the area that you see as dirt in these photos will be seeded with grass, so it becomes a gentle grassy mound seeming to rise from the old foundation.
The former Hill Ward building is going to become quite a nice destination, just as the Legislature envisioned when it approved most of the funding for the project. Part of the plans include improving the walkway up the hill, and putting some benches along the way, so hopefully some of the frailer folks who can't get to the hill now can make at least part, if not all, of the climb. (If you are involved in cross country, don't worry, half the trail is going to stay gravel)
On the whole, it's a great project. The Hill Ward site will become a destination, guaranteed.
That said, the committee looking out over Fort Steilacoom Park still has its work cut out for it. For two years, the city has been planning to put interpretive signs in the park about the amazing history of the land. That history includes the Native Americans who lived here, the English farmer who practically starved to death out here in the 1840s, Chief Leschi, George Pickett and other early soldiers .. and that does not even include the history of the hospital and of mental health care.
The committee heard an idea from our parks department to put all these signs around Lake Waughop. I'm thrilled to hear the signs may finally go up ... our children deserve to know the area's history .. but much less thrilled about the signs being confined to the lake trail. Plus, the lake trail is more of a natural setting than I would personally imagine interpretive signage.
So I think we chalk down the lake trail idea as a good idea that others can react to and either amend or supplement. The city's landmarks board, which was scheduled to meet the next day on regular business, voted the next day to recommend at least some interpretive signs go into more widely traveled and hopefully less vandalizable (is that a word?) parts of the park. Stay tuned. We will get our young people educated about the heritage of that land and of Lakewood, one way or another.
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This week, they met to talk about, among other things, how improvements are going at the Hill Ward site. The group also talked about signs that would interpret the history of the park; more on that in a minute.
If you are physically able, I suggest you make the walk. Go see what the place looks like now that the derelict building is gone. It's amazing how the feel of the place has changed.
The only camera I had was in my cell phone. As I got it ready to take shots this week, I realized I had totally forgotten that I had a photo of the old building stored in the phone. I must have shot this old photo last winter right after I got the phone.
The building was, of course, an amazingly picturesque death trap, and had to come down. You can dive a bit deeper into the subject through my old blog posting on the topic.The resulting mound of dirt follows the shape of the old building, while still leaving behind the various first-floor stairways allowing for a bit of climbing (and a bit of area for people to still paint graffiti late at night. Frankly, the building has been a graffitti showcase for much longer than it was ever a functioning hospital building)
Sadly, my cell phone camera was not up to the task of capturing the good weather and sharp scenery last week, but here are some shots of the view and the committee:
And yes indeed, the gent on the left in that last photo is Steve Dunkelberger, who co-authored the Lakewood history book. Steve is a volunteer with the city's Landmarks and Heritage Advisory Board.
The plan is to rim the outline of the mound - the outline of the building - with a large wood trim perimeter that would allow seating. There will be a labyrinth in one part of the field. It should be a lovely place for meditation and reflection. And old remnants of the building that did not crumble will be etched with brief information about the history of the hill, for benefit of our and future generations. Of course, the area that you see as dirt in these photos will be seeded with grass, so it becomes a gentle grassy mound seeming to rise from the old foundation.
The former Hill Ward building is going to become quite a nice destination, just as the Legislature envisioned when it approved most of the funding for the project. Part of the plans include improving the walkway up the hill, and putting some benches along the way, so hopefully some of the frailer folks who can't get to the hill now can make at least part, if not all, of the climb. (If you are involved in cross country, don't worry, half the trail is going to stay gravel)
On the whole, it's a great project. The Hill Ward site will become a destination, guaranteed.
That said, the committee looking out over Fort Steilacoom Park still has its work cut out for it. For two years, the city has been planning to put interpretive signs in the park about the amazing history of the land. That history includes the Native Americans who lived here, the English farmer who practically starved to death out here in the 1840s, Chief Leschi, George Pickett and other early soldiers .. and that does not even include the history of the hospital and of mental health care.
The committee heard an idea from our parks department to put all these signs around Lake Waughop. I'm thrilled to hear the signs may finally go up ... our children deserve to know the area's history .. but much less thrilled about the signs being confined to the lake trail. Plus, the lake trail is more of a natural setting than I would personally imagine interpretive signage.
So I think we chalk down the lake trail idea as a good idea that others can react to and either amend or supplement. The city's landmarks board, which was scheduled to meet the next day on regular business, voted the next day to recommend at least some interpretive signs go into more widely traveled and hopefully less vandalizable (is that a word?) parts of the park. Stay tuned. We will get our young people educated about the heritage of that land and of Lakewood, one way or another.
