Fort Nisqually Clerk’s House being replaced

In 1935, the Clerk’s House at Fort Nisqually Living History Museum was built. Now, 90 years later, it will be demolished to make way for a new Clerk’s House building designed to enhance the museum’s historical immersion for visitors and provide a more effective operations base to support staff and the Fort’s nearly 200 volunteers.

Over the years, the house received several patchwork additions and modifications, negatively impacting its historical integrity and leading to increased maintenance and operational costs. An assessment performed in 2018 determined that the external walls and internal structures were compromised and needed replacement. 

The project started on May 27 and is expected to take nine months to complete. A grand opening celebration is slated for summer of next year. The new construction will provide climate-controlled workspace and storage to maintain the museum’s clothing collections, tools and program supplies. Staff and volunteers will have access to a break room with a small kitchen, restrooms with showers and dressing rooms for men and women, as well as a staging area for events.

The nearly $2 million project is being funded by the 2014 voter-approved bond funding and a Washington State Heritage Capital Project grant.

“This capital improvement project will provide an upgraded facility allowing our staff and volunteers to better engage with our community and the diverse regional audience who come to Fort Nisqually to learn about our past and find ways to incorporate this learning into their future,” said Jim Lauderdale, the museum supervisor.

The proposed replacement is modeled on the 19th century Hudson Bay Company’s Montgomery House, the original Fort Nisqually structure that the Clerk’s House was modeled after in the 1930s. The scope of work includes an historically accurate reconstruction of a 2,750 sq. ft. building. Additional site work includes site grading, drainage, stormwater, and site restoration.

In addition to improving operating space for the Fort’s volunteer interpreters, the exterior will enhance the visitor experience. While the building is not open to the public, the designs for the visible exterior were created using references from the original Fort Nisqually’s historical documents, better reflecting the Clerk’s House to descriptions of the original 1800’s structure.

“We are excited to bring this new addition to Fort Nisqually to honor the historical significance of the Clerk’s House and its place at the museum, and most importantly, providing a facility to care for the volunteers who bring the museum to life,” said Joe Brady, deputy director of regional parks and attractions.

Fort Nisqually Living History Museum will remain open during construction with no impact to programming. Visitors can expect to see opaque fencing on the grounds and will be able to hear project construction during normal hours of operation Monday to Friday.

While construction is underway, visitors traveling to the museum by vehicle will have to enter Point Defiance Park through the Mildred Street entrance due to road closures stemming from the construction of Loop Trail near the Pearl Street entrance. The Loop Trail project will improve visitor safety by separating and buffering pedestrians and cyclists from vehicular traffic. Utilizing existing sections of roadway, this project will improve both vehicular and non-motorized circulation. The Loop Trail project will address safety needs that were identified as a community priority during the 2015 update to the Point Defiance Master Plan.

In 2036, Fort Nisqually will celebrate its bicentennial, marking 200 years after the Hudson’s Bay Company arrived at the mouth of Sequalitchew Creek and construction began on what was to be the first European settlement on Puget Sound. A plan has been developed to celebrate the museum’s work and set a new vision in time for Fort Nisqually’s bicentennial, providing recommendations that move the museum toward a rich educational and history-based experience. 

Learn more at parkstacoma.gov/project/fort-nisqually-improvements.

DINE WE MUST

On Friday, June 27, the third annual Dine We Must dinner will be held on the Fort Nisqually lawn from 6-9 p.m. Inspired by the spirit of fine Victorian dining, this farm-to-table meal will reflect the wise words of influential British author, columnist and chef Isabelle Beaton who put it best in the 1800s when she said, “Dine we must, and we may as well dine elegantly as well as wholesomely.”

Historic interpreters in full dress and character will welcome arriving guests to 1855 with an invitation to view the Fort’s historic buildings, enjoy appetizers and beverages, and socialize with one another. The menu for dinner features northwest cuisine prepared by Table 47, accompanied by live music from the Fort’s music guild and a surprise visit from Richard and Emma Thornhill.

Richard Thornhill was a cook at Fort Nisqually in the 1850s and both he and Emma were known for their colorful personalities and demeanors. The evening concludes with a sampling of desserts made in the Fort’s period-accurate kitchen by the Fort’s wonderfully talented volunteers.

Purchase tickets online at FortNisqually.org. Dress is upscale PNW to cocktail attire and living history clothing is always welcome at the Fort. Dress for the weather and walking on uneven surfaces.