Construction of the Clerk’s House was completed this spring

The newest building at Fort Nisqually Living History Museum won an award for historic preservation.

The Clerk’s House is one of a dozen or so structures that help immerse visitors in the 1800s to experience life at the first globally connected settlement on Puget Sound.

The original building from 1935 had lost some of its historical integrity through patchwork modifications over the years so it was demolished and replaced to better reflect structures in the 1800s.

Last month, as construction of the new Clerk’s House wrapped up, the City of Tacoma’s Landmark Preservation Commission honored the project with an outstanding achievement award for excellence in historic preservation.

The project was recognized for “community efforts in preserving places and stories that matter to Tacoma and beyond,” Susan Johnson, historic preservation coordinator, wrote in the award letter.

An awards ceremony will be held Thursday, May 21, at Fort Nisqually. The event, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., is open to the public and will include light refreshments.

“Museum staff and volunteers are very excited about the completion of this capital improvement project, which enables us to more effectively engage our community and the diverse regional audience who come to Fort Nisqually,” said Jim Lauderdale, museum supervisor. “This award reinforces the part of the museum’s mission to engage our museum audience through historic preservation.”

Clerk’s House

The need for a new Clerk’s House was highlighted in 2018 when a building assessment noted the structure was compromised and recommended it be replaced.

Thanks to funds from the 2014 voter-approved bond and a Washington State Heritage Capital Project grant, the nearly $2 million project got underway last May. It was completed in April.

Historical documents from the original Fort Nisqually were used to design the exterior of the Clerk’s House to best reflect the 1800s and enhance historical immersion for the 35,000 people who visit the Living History Museum each year.

The new climate-controlled building will not be open to the public. Instead, it will support operations for the Fort’s nearly 200 volunteers.

There is storage for the museum’s period clothing collection, tools and program supplies. Volunteers will also have access to dressing rooms, restrooms with showers, a break room and small kitchen, and a staging area.

“The Fort has enjoyed almost 200 years of a rich history for our part of the Pacific Northwest and yet this building represents that the best history of the Fort is still to come,” said volunteer Rick Keller-Scholz.

Fort Nisqually History

Fort Nisqually was originally located in what is now DuPont.

The original settlement was established in 1833 by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a fur trading outpost. By 1855, the British establishment was facing pressure from settlers who wanted the farmable land for their own, so the company eventually sold its holding to the United States government. Fort Nisqually became the homestead of the last manager, Edward Huggins.

The settlement was reconstructed at Point Defiance Park in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration to serve as an example of life in Washington territory circa 1855.

Two of the original structures, the Factor’s House and Granary, were donated to Park Tacoma and are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Clerk’s House is not listed on a historic registry but will help transport Fort Nisqually visitors back in time.

View a photo gallery here.

Media Contact:

Stacia Glenn, Public Information Officer/Parks Tacoma
[email protected], (253) 345-0948