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The Lewis County Board of Commissioners is set to approve the final sale of the Claquato Church to a locally based nonprofit this week roughly three months after declaring the property as surplus and listing it for sale.
The resolution that would approve the sale of the church was originally on the agenda for the commissioners’ business meeting this week, but has since been delayed to next week due to administrative obstacles.
According to the bid application from the Claquato Church Cemetery Board, the group is offering to purchase the historic property for $5,000 and hopes to invest approximately $2.79 million into restoration of the church and an additional building.
A draft version of the upcoming resolution to be heard by the Lewis County Board of Commissioners suggests the board plans to accept the offer. The Claquato Cemetery Board was the only bidder on the property.
The nearly 40-page bid offer from the cemetery board details the improvements it hopes to make in the coming years to turn the property into a historic site capable of hosting visitors and offering education.
Restoration efforts on the building will include first and foremost the replacement of the church's roof. The cemetery board has identified a list of other parts of the building in poor condition and in need of repair or restoration. While the roof is first to go, the walls, windows, stairs and ceiling are also in poor condition. Each of these elements reportedly show signs of deterioration or water damage.
The new building mentioned in the cemetery board's plans would act as a visitor center and community space. It would include a parking lot for visitors as well as American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant sidewalks and paths, a visitors lobby, meeting room, outdoor event space, offices for the church and cemetery administration and bathrooms accessible from both the interior and exterior of the building. A concept for the building is based on the Graham Visitors Center at the Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle.
According to the bid document, the visitor center would be a way to make a space for education and displays that would inform visitors about the church without making changes to the church itself.
“This report proposes the construction of a visitor center and event space that will increase visibility of and support engagement with the historic campus comprising the church and the cemetery, without modifications to the existing structure,” the cemetery board states in its bid proposal.
Lewis County listed the Claquato Church property as surplus in preparation for its sale over the summer on July 15. At the time, the county published an announcement explaining the decision to the public, citing the need for costly maintenance and repairs.
Commissioners added that while the church has historical value, the cost of maintenance without any way to generate revenue for the county made the building a drain on taxpayer dollars.
“After weighing current and future budget impacts — and considering that the county has no value derived from the property — the Lewis County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has decided to declare the property surplus and sell it to the highest and best bidder,” the county stated in its call for bids.
Lewis County has owned the church building for roughly 80 years since taking ownership of it in 1948. According to the bid document from the cemetery board, it has been more than 60 years since the church was the subject of any restorations or repairs. In 1953, The Chehalis Post No. 22 of the American Legion fundraised with help from the county to repair the foundation of the building, replace the roof and make myriad repairs to the interior of the church.
The announcement of the sale of the building in July initially sounded the alarm for many in the community and those across Washington interested in historic buildings. The Claquato Church remains one of the oldest, if not the oldest, churches still standing in the state of Washington, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the Washington State Heritage Register.
The building was completed in 1858. At the time, Claquato was the seat of the Lewis County government as part of the Oregon Territory roughly 40 years before Washington rose to statehood.
Shortly after the announcement of its sale, the Claquato Cemetery Board revealed it intended to purchase the property the whole time. According to previous reporting by The Chronicle, the cemetery board had spent the two years prior developing a proposal to purchase and revitalize the church and surrounding property that neighbors the Claquato Cemetery itself.
