Pioneer Church Replica Taking Shape in Fort Borst Park

Led by local history buff Jean Bluhm, the Borst Pioneer Church Committee has its church and steeple.

Pretty soon, a replica of one of the first structures built in Centralia will be full of all the people.

“It’s finally getting to where it looks like a church,” Bluhm said. “As we start the new year, I have great hopes for completion.”

Two years of effort by the committee and community members have produced the latest addition to the historic section of Borst Park, which includes the Borst Home and a replica schoolhouse, on the cusp of opening to the public sometime this year.

Though the doors and all but one window have yet to be installed, those who stand about 6 feet tall can walk up the front steps, peer over the plywood and see the unfinished interior. A decorative spire is perched atop the metal roof, which was donated by the Centralia Foundation.

The city of Centralia, which will own the building once completed, voted earlier this year to match the $27,000 raised by the committee based in part on the idea it could recoup its investment by renting the space out for weddings and other events. It already owns the other two historic structures on site. 

Donated materials and labor have kept the construction costs down. Bluhm and members of the local Westminster Presbyterian Church got the four walls raised. The Centralia branch of the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints agreed to take it from there.

“The next steps for them are putting the plank siding on the outside and then the windows and doors,” Bluhm said. “Hopefully by the end of January or February, they can work inside. We have electricity out there now, so we can do the interior work.”

Emil Pierson, Community Development Director for Centralia, said that aside from hooking the building up to the power grid, city staff has largely been hands off with the project. Once it is finished, he figures the space could host just about any sort of event.

“We’ve let them just kind of run with the ball,” Pierson said. “A lot of different people have been donating their time and talents, which we really appreciate”

Local artist Marcy Anholt created a stained glass window for the replica church during ARTrails of Southwest Washington tours held last September. Benches will be used for seating instead of pews so the space can be used for different types of events.

The original church was built in the late 1800s and located near Fords Prairie, not what is now Borst Park. Plans call for the replica to be used as an educational tool for local students when not in use by a third party.

Donations for the project are still being accepted and are tax deductible. Those interested in contributing resources or labor can contact Bluhm at 360-748-4362. Donations can also be sent my mail to the United Way of Lewis County, care of Borst Pioneer Church.