In Our View: Divine Providence

We could try, but we are not sure we can say it any better: “One of the important measures of our community’s future will be how well we treat our past.”

Those are words The Columbian wrote editorially in 2012 when examining the future of The Academy building near downtown Vancouver. And those are words that remain true today as the historic building moves toward the next phase of its inimitable presence at the heart of the city.

The Academy was built in 1873 by Mother Joseph and her fellow Sisters of Providence. And as the building moves toward its 150th anniversary within the next decade, it is undergoing a transformation that will reflect its history while positioning it to remain an integral part of the city for the future. Now known as Providence Academy, the building was acquired several years ago by the Fort Vancouver National Trust, a nonprofit organization that is busy with repairs and upgrades. Among the most notable changes are the development of displays and interpretive panels detailing the rich history of the structure.

That history was forged by Mother Joseph, a Catholic nun whose impact upon the state was so significant that she is one of two historical Washington figures to be honored at National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. Mother Joseph and four Sisters of Providence companions left Montreal on Nov. 3, 1856, and arrived in Vancouver weeks later after a 6,000-mile journey. They quickly set about constructing facilities for a school and an orphanage, and eventually established the first permanent hospital in the Pacific Northwest.

As the needs of local residents grew, the sisters expanded their operation, eventually constructing the building that still sits at 400 W. Evergreen Blvd., not far from Fort Vancouver and across the street from Vancouver’s gleaming main library. As a city has grown up around Providence Academy, the building has served many purposes over the years while continuing to provide a touchstone to Vancouver’s pioneering past.

That is why a bright future for the building is worthy of recognition. As The Columbian reported this week, interpretive materials and display areas with archival photos will be part of a renovated entryway for the building, and a more in-depth historical presentation eventually will be added. Funding has been provided by preservation grants and a private donor.

Meanwhile, it is nigh impossible to overstate Mother Joseph’s impact upon what was first the Washington Territory and then the state of Washington. Along with leading the Sisters of Providence in the area, she also served as an architect and builder. She led efforts to construct Seattle’s first hospital, and HistoryLink.org reports, “Clad in habit, with hammer and saw in hand, she personally supervised the construction, sometimes ripping out faulty workmanship and redoing it herself.” The Sisters also established the Northwest’s first nursing school, in Portland, followed by another in Seattle.

But Mother Joseph’s first role upon landing in the Northwest could be found in Vancouver, and the city long has celebrated and acknowledged that legacy. Regarded as the site of the Northwest’s first European settlers, Vancouver has a rich history that is part of the city’s past and should hold a place in its future. Establishing Providence Academy as an interpretive center will be a wise and beneficial move in that direction.

After all, as has been said, one measure of our community’s future will be how well we treat our past.