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02/10/2006: "House Moves To New Home"

The Churchill house has been moved from it's hilltop prominence in downtown Friday Harbor, to a new site behind another old island home on San Juan Island. For Sandy Strehlou, the FH Historic Preservation Coordinator, who has worked tirelessly to save the building from being demolished, the move was a "bitter sweet" success. Previous Story

Because of her commitment to preserving the historical structures of Friday Harbor, she was one of many who had hopped there might be some way to attract an angel that would look beyond the financial bottom line of real estate values and preserve the building, without moving it, for future generations. But she was also realistic that given the value of the site, this was unlikely to happen. So on to plan "B', and try to find someone to save it by moving it. More than one person took a long look at the prospect, but were unable to afford what would be, for all intents and purposes, a financial loss. And then Mr. Ron Boe stepped forward with a plan. Ron Boe owned land a few blocks away that already had another historical home on it, but found room behind it where the building could be located. Thus the "bittersweet" emotion for Strehlou: the historical site would soon contain just yet another new building in Friday Harbor, but the historical building was saved.

The move was made on Thursday afternoon, and it quickly took on the air of a street fair, with the sidewalks and the roads filled with people taking photos, drinking lattes, making jokes about "Make sure you stay out of the Splinter Zone" and observations that "This is biggest turn-out since Gordy's Building burned down!", but the move was smooth and quick, and all of the officials, from the Town staff and the moving crew to the Sheriff's Deputies, shown a remarkable and much appreciated tolerance and patience with the large crowds that followed - and surrounded- the building as it moved right down the middle of Spring Street. As one person said, "well that was fun!". And for Sandy? She told The Guardian that she was hopeful that the move would be an inspiration to others, that our old buildings do not have to be destroyed in order to develop a property.