LHS Board Decides on Site for Permanent Museum

After careful and thoughtful deliberation the LHS Board has finally decided on the permanent site to pursue for the Lakewood History Museum.  Since the inception of the Society in 1998, it has always been a dream to have a museum to showcase the history of the Lakewood area.  The LHS Planning Committee began the process in June 2005 by reviewing potential sites.  Further steps could not take place until the membership increased, fund raising activities started and a professional consultant hired.  Eight sites were presented to the membership on September 2005.   The list was narrowed to two; the Boatman-Ainsworth House, the oldest part built in 1858 by Oregon Trail pioneers; and the Mueller-Harkins Hangar, completed in 1929, now on the campus of the Clover Park Technical College.  A feasibility study comparing the two sites was done by BCRA, a Tacoma architectural, engineering and planning firm, in January, 2006. The results were presented to the LHS Board with the recommendation to select the Hangar.

Any further follow up on the permanent site selection process was deferred because of the more immediate decision to pursue a temporary storefront museum.  After a review of various locations in the city, a space in the historic Lakewood Colonial Center was leased in June 06.  Even though it was only 1700 sq ft of space, it would give the Society an opportunity to learn about museum management, train volunteer docents, acquire a collection of artifacts and memorabilia and increase fundraising to meet the new expenses. Just like any new “family” we started out modestly and “made do” with borrowed and used furnishings.  We even salvaged closet doors to use as displays pieces.  Countless hours were devoted by volunteers and contracted staff in fabricating and arranging exhibits and displays.  Finally, in October, we opened our doors and welcomed our community into our new home.

Now that that storefront museum is operational, it is time to resume the pursuit of the permanent site.  The process began in November 2007 by the formation of a Task Force that presented the new Board the research previously done.  With the aid of a facilitator at the retreat in March 2008, the Board compiled a list of criteria.  They included: use a historic building, have enough space to display Lakewood history and have Society and community activities, a location that had easy access for visitors, and had a favorable long term lease or purchase price.  The criteria were applied to the following sites: a larger space in the Lakewood Colonial Center, the Boatman-Ainsworth House and the Mueller-Harkins Hangar.

It was important to consider the Colonial Center because the property manager indicated interest in our relocating to a larger space.  But none was available and the monthly rent would have been prohibitively expensive.  The Boatman-Ainsworth House had limitations because there was little space available for exhibits other than the time periods it represented.  The surrounding land would not have accommodated adequate parking or enough facilities for the other Society activities or museum services.  Even with a below market asking price, it would have meant purchasing the home outright, something the Society was in no position to do.  One of the major concerns for the property was to “save it from developers”.  Fortunately, the home is on the National, State and City Historic Registries so any changes made by a new owner would require approval by the Lakewood’s Landmarks Heritage Advisory Board.

In April the LHS Board unanimously approved the Hangar as the permanent museum site.   It met all of the criteria plus it provided a unique advantage to be able to partner with the College.   There would be over 13,000 sq ft of space to utilize for the assorted functions and activities.  It was near a main throughfare, close to public transportation and had adequate parking.

Because CPTC would be our “landlord” and the primary partner, Becky Huber, President of the Society, and Glen Spieth, the Task Force chairman, met with Dr John Walstrum, President of CPTC and Tony Robinson, Operations and Facilities Vice President in April.  It was quickly realized by all of us that we wanted to “make this happen”.  We were in complete agreement that an active partnership would be developed and that the relationship would benefit both of us.  In May, the College’s Board of Trustees concurred to advance the process.

Now we are ready to move forward in the negotiations for a long term lease.  There are many concerns and issues that need to be addressed by both parties.  We need to bring in the other partners such as the City of Lakewood, the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, BCRA and many local organizations, who will help ensure the project is successful.  We will need to start capital campaign fund raising that will come from many sources including our membership, local citizens and organizations, corporations, foundations and grants.  We are embarking on a journey in which the end result will be a museum we all can be proud of, that is utilized by our community and appreciated by visitors.  We look forward to giving you regular updates on the progress of the project and welcome your input at anytime.