This week has been designated as Preservation Week by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
During the past year, much publicity has been given to Centralia's work to restore its historic character. Now, Chehalins are also receiving similar recognition, as many residents are putting forth time and money to preserve the past, primarily through the restoration of old buildings.
To acknowledge expansive local efforts toward historic preservation, the Chehalis Historic Preservation Commission and the Chehalis City Council will recognize five property owners who have worked to maintain the city's historic attributes.
The property owners are Marlin and Carol Gimbel, Ben and Alice Randall, Dr. Beverly Coyne, Marc and Sally Johnson, and Daryl Lund. They will be awarded plaques at the Chehalis City Council meeting on Monday.
"There is a strong commitment to historic preservation in this community," said Hank Kirk, the longtime chairman of the Chehalis Historic Preservation Commission. "These structures are an asset to our community and impossible to replace. We want individual property owners, who are committed to historic preservation, to know that their efforts are recognized and appreciated."
"The plaques usually identify the the original building owner and the year it was built, but the present owners are also recognized for their renovation and restoration efforts," said Kirk.
Kirk asks that when or if the current owners move, they leave the plaque behind as it is a "historical document for that building," so that knowledge of the past, a history that so many worked to build and preserve, continues.
The George and Hazel Sears house
Marlin and Carol Gimbel are the owners of the George and Hazel Sears house at 684 N.W. Gertrude St.
The home was built in 1924 by lumber baron Carrol L. Brown, owner of the Coal Creek Lumber Co. and president of the Chehalis Shingle Co.
Brown built the home as a wedding gift for his daughter and druggist son-in-law George Sears. Sears was the long-time owner of Sears Drug Store and a long-serving Chehalis city commissioner in the 1930s and '40s.
"We restored an old home in Alberta, and just fell in love with old houses," said Marlin Gimbel, an administrator for the Pacific Cataract and Laser Institute. "When we moved to Chehalis 10 years ago, we hoped to find another old house."
The couple had heard that Pennsylvania Avenue area was one of the prettiest neighborhoods in Chehalis, and began looking for homes in that district.
"We looked at a few houses, and when we walked into this house, my wife said, 'This is it,' " recalled Gimbel.
The two-story wood frame house reflects the English cottage style of the early 20th century. It is a contributing home to the Pennsylvania-West Side's National Historic Places Register designation.
It has a front gable and a perpendicular side gabled wing, steeply pitched gabled roofs, and a gabled portico at the entry, according to the Chehalis Historic Preservation Commission.
"The house was in great condition when we moved in, but there had been some things done to the house during the 1970s, like a red kitchen sink, that we changed so that the house would represent the time in which it was built," Gimbel said.
"It's just a gorgeous home," he continued, "(with) old wooden bannisters, hardwood floors, crown molding, a nice old fireplace, French door, and old glass windows. I love looking through old, wavy, glass."
Gimbel's favorite rooms in the home are the kitchen and living room.
"It's a beautiful, cozy area," he said. "My kids like hanging out in the living room in the evening."
The family has also decorated the house to fit the 1920s period.
"We have throw rugs, wing-backed chairs, big puffy sofas," Gimbel said.
Gimbel did have to replace a lot of aging items in the main bathroom, but replaced them with a claw-foot tub, a pedestal sink and other features to maintain the home's character.
The Gimbels are the third owners of the house, purchasing it from former Lewis County Prosecutor Brian Baker and his wife, Geri, who bought the home in the early 1970s from the original owners.
The George L. and Lillian Marsh house
Down the street from the Gimbels is another house contributing to the Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District designation, the George L. and Lillian Marsh house at 723 N.W. Pennsylvania Ave.
The home was built in 1929 and is now owned by Ben and Alice Randall, who are now in the process of selling the house.
As with the Gimbel home, this home was also built by a lumberman.
George Marsh owned the Leudinghaus Lumber Co. near Dryad, selling it in 1928. He then operated the Marsh Summit Lake Logging Co. until his retirement.
Before venturing into lumber, Marsh was a teacher, and served as one of the first teachers at Catyn in Cowlitz County.
Marsh was also active in the Lewis County community by serving as assessor for several years, a pioneer member of the Chehalis Methodist Church, and a lifelong member of the Chehalis Elks.
Lillian Marsh was the daughter of pioneer settlers on the Cowlitz River near Kelso.
The couple sold the house in the early 1940s.
The Randalls are the latest owners, and are selling the house after 3½ years of restorative work.
"We like big, old homes," said Ben Randall. "Restoring homes is a hobby for us."
The Randalls have restored a number of old homes in the Centralia area over the years, and their adult children have acquired their passion.
"Yes, they are also fixing up houses in Portland and other places," he said.
The sale of the house is expected to close in a week or two, and the Randalls are already at work on their next project, a house dating back to 1903 and also located on Pennsylvania Avenue.
"I just really think it is important to keep these old houses in good shape," he said. "So many of them are left to deteriorate, and that's a shame. They are a part of our history, and I really admire all of the people who put the time and money into making sure they stay in good shape and can be enjoyed for many more years."
The T.C. and Anna Rush house
The T.C. and Anna Rush home is one of the area's oldest homes, built in 1890.
The house is located at 486 N.E. Adams Ave.
The Rushes were pioneers who were very active in the development of downtown Chehalis, including the Columbus block buildings on the corners of Boistfort Street and Market Boulevard.
The house, which is listed on the Hillside Historic National Register, as had several owners during its 113 years, and it is now owned by Marc and Sally Johnson of Rochester.
The couple use it as a rental, and have done considerable work to restore it.
"We bought it about two years ago, we thought it had great investment potential," said Marc Johnson.
"It was really in poor condition when we bought it," he said. "We spent nine months working on it pretty regularly to restore it."
The Johnsons rewired it, put on a new roof, painted the interior and exterior, took out the old carpeting, sanded the wooden floors, replaced the bathroom fixtures, added a second bathroom, renovated the kitchen, and uncovered an original archway between the living room and dining room.
"We also added touches that represent period character," he said. "The kitchen cabinets are old-fashioned looking, and we put a clawfoot tub in the bathroom, and pedestal sinks."
The Eleanor Peterson house
This house, built around 1910, now houses the chiropractic practice of Dr. Beverly Coyne.
The house is located at 78 S. Market Blvd.
Eleanor Peterson was not the original owner of the home, but she did live there from 1939 to 1973.
"She was a piano teacher here for several years, and many of clients have fond memories of Ms. Peterson," said Coyne.
Peterson was trained in music at the London Academy of Music and at Pacific University.
"She taught a lot of local people," said Coyne.
Coyne bought the home in 1977, as she thought the location was a great place to open her practice.
The house had been a rental for a few years, and, owing to its age, was "in need of some tender loving care" when Coyne bought it.
"I literally restored it from the foundation up," the chiropractor said, adding the restoration was worth the effort as it provides a "cozy environment."
"People find it very easy to relax here," said Coyne. "It's an office, but it has the feel of a home."
Daryl Lund's Chehalis Theatre
Chehalis native Daryl Lund purchased the Chehalis Theatre in the mid-1990s because he feared if he didn't buy it, it might never operate as a movie theater again.
The theater, located at 558 N. Market Blvd., is seen by many as one of the historic jewels of the downtown, and is listed on the Chehalis Downtown Historic Register.
The Chehalis Historic Preservation commission is particularly pleased with Lund's restoration of the marquee. The marquee dates back to the 1950s and was restored by Lund in 2000.
With the marquee lighting up Chehalis nights, and with the theater promising to provide movies for years to come, an important reminder of days gone by is alive and well on Market Boulevard.
The theater has a long history.
It actually first opened as a wooden livery and feed stable in 1907, and then housed a car dealership in the 1920s.
Its movie days began in 1938, when it opened as the Pix Theatre. The first film shown was "Thanks for the Memories," starring Bob Hope and Shirley Ross.
The Pix seated 653 people with walls that had royal-blue silk rayon trimmed in gold fleur-de-lis on the walls, heavy plush carpets, red velour-covered seats and a cosmetic room for women, according to the Lewis County Historical Museum.
The Pix operated through the 1950s, closing briefly in 1953 and then reopening a year later. Phil and Vivian Roewe ran it for several years in the 1970s.
The theater was later bought by a movie theater chain, but closed as a theater in the 1980s and ran as a video store.
Lund bought it in the mid-1990s.
Amy Emerson covers energy, business and economic issues for The Chronicle. She may be reached by e-mail at aemerson@chronline.com, or by telephoning 807-8231.
