Moving forward is exciting! Thanks to a grant from the State of Washington Department of Commerce, the historic Cathlamet Pioneer Center (Pioneer Church) has been restored and is ready to welcome people inside for another 127 years. Fifty years ago, in 1973, the Cathlamet Pioneer Center was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The NRHP is the federal government’s official list of districts, sites, building, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or great artistic value. It’s time to celebrate and the Pioneer Community Association is making plans for a Ribbon Cutting/Birthday Celebration.

To recap: the summer of 2020 was exciting as we saw a desperately needed new roof installed and exterior painting. For those fortunate enough to live close by, it was an impressive operation as they used an Ultra-Boom lift to reach the highest peak of the steeple. Following the exterior projects, crews moved indoors to take care of the foundation issues that had led to moldy carpeting, water saturated baseboards, and an almost unusable, fetid, lower level. Before they could excavate the trenches to add drains and sump pumps, we had to “gut” the lower level. With Covid creating a global pandemic, we hit the pause button and focused on health and safety.

The pause button also allowed us to see if the significant foundation water issues were, in fact, resolved. As you know, Wahkiakum County gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 187 days per year with an annual rainfall of 94”. Well, surprise, water had found its way into another section of the lower level, requiring additional work. With that done, we could focus on wall repairs, painting, new flooring, and custom cabinet installation. As it turns out, almost everything was “custom.” Old buildings are full of quaint charm and quirky challenges. Thankfully our incredible, all volunteer, construction team worked miracles and created a phenomenal space.

What’s left to do? Exterior landscaping! It’s time to turn the lumpy lot into a showcase garden to match the stately presence of the restored and historic Cathlamet Pioneer Center. Let us know what you can do to help. What ideas do you have? Find us on Facebook, Pioneer Community Association or email us at pcacathlamet@gmail.com.