Friends of Julia Butler Hansen continue with house upgrades

Driving or walking by the white house beside the Wahkiakum County Courthouse, one may see workers and vehicles crowding around. It is okay, as they are upgrading the building and equipment while maintaining the historic nature of the house. In 2025, the non-profit Friends of Julia Butler Hansen (FJBH) was awarded a capital improvements grant from the Washington State Legislature for $115,000 to improve the shell of the Julia Butler Hansen house. FJBH is modernizing the HVAC system and upgrading it to include humidity control. They are also replacing the roof with same-period shakes and upgrading the security system. All of this is the first critical step to preserve the many historic artifacts inside the house.

FJBH has many more steps before they are fully ready to show off the legacy of Julia Butler Hansen, her family, and their many accomplishments. In the meantime, they can host only limited access events at the house and gardens. While this remodeling is going on, FJBH will continue their fundraising efforts, with the next one being the spring auction at the Hotel Cathlamet on Saturday, May 9, from noon to 3 p.m. This will be in conjunction with the inaugural county Heritage Days event. For construction updates, images of this spring's auction items, and for tickets to the limited-access auction, please visit wahkiakum.org/fjbh.