One of the benefits of the long (some would say too long) political campaign season is that candidates tend to visit a lot of places and meet a lot of people in their districts. The candidates benefit tremendously from these visits by winning the votes of people they meet. But presumably, both sides win. The politicians remember these people and their needs after they assume office, and the spotlight the major candidates bring with them helps to present local issues to a wider audience.
It was one of these mutually beneficial visits that brought Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee to Vancouver on Saturday to tour the historic Providence Academy building.
Built in 1873 — 16 years before Washington statehood — Providence Academy is one of Clark County’s most visible yet least recognized landmarks. It sits along Evergreen Boulevard, across the street from the Vancouver Community Library, and is clearly visible from Interstate 5. But more people need to recognize its value.
The remarkable Mother Joseph planned and designed the three-story brick building, raised money for its construction, and oversaw the project. It served as an orphanage and a school, the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, and was at one time the largest building on the West Coast north of San Francisco. The school closed in 1966 and the property was sold to a pioneering Vancouver family, the Hiddens, who leased it for office space and events, including many weddings in the original chapel.
Over the years the old building stately decayed, and in 2015 the Hiddens sold the property to the nonprofit Fort Vancouver National Trust. It needs a new roof, brickwork, porch renovation, landscaping and, mostly, a bold vision for preserving the historic character of the property while making it useful and accessible to future generations.
Some of the money for these renovations will likely come from the state. Earlier this year legislators carved out $1 million from the state’s capital budget to undertake some of the work, and Inslee signed it. So it was appropriate that on Saturday, as part of his visit, Inslee climbed the rickety ladder into the cupola, where he signed his name on an interior wall bearing the signatures of many other visitors over the years.
During his visit, Inslee took note of Providence Academy’s current role of providing 60,000 square feet of low-cost office space to small and emerging businesses. “The delight is that (the investment) is not just preserving an amazing part of the state’s history, but you’ve got 65 nascent businesses here,” Inslee said. “It’s rare where you get historical assets where you can do so much with present usage.”
Office space isn’t the only vision for Providence Academy’s future. There have been discussions about adding historical interpretation, and perhaps developing an attraction such as a restaurant or brewery in one of the outbuildings that adjoin the main building. And it appears likely there will be development on some other parts of the 6.9-acre site, most of which today is given over to parking.
Making these visions come true, as well as preserving what is already in place, will be expensive. Some of the money will come from donations, and a large part can come from tenant leases and facilities rentals. But it is very possible that there will be additional requests for state assistance. That’s why it is helpful for the Fort Vancouver National Trust to have a building with Jay Inslee’s name on it — literally.
