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09/25/2007: "Town To Lose Another Historic Building? Perhaps Not"

(Photo from the Cottage Living magazine sent as press release by Strehlou)

The turn of the century home of Virgil Frits, the onetime Editor/Publisher of the old Friday Harbor Journal may go the way of other historical buildings in Friday Harbor: to a landfill; unless someone steps forward to save it, by moving it

“That building will be torn down over my dead body!”, so said then County Commissioner Darcie Nielsen after the County purchased the property for possible future expansion of county administrative buildings. That was then, but now the building will be scheduled for demolition unless someone, or some group, steps forward to save it, by moving it. And Neilson may yet play a role in saving it.



(Building as it currently exists)

Just when the demolition of the building could occur is an open question, and according to County Administrator Pete Rose, the destruction of the building “Is not on my radar screen”.

The building has been rented out by the County, but is now vacant. The County does not have a historical board or committee, but the Town of Friday Harbor does and as far back as 2004 there was concern by the Town of Friday Harbor’s Historical Preservation Review Board that the County would demolish the building, The Board -which is only an advisory board to the Town, - had discussed “various strategies for encouraging the community to work together to save this structure”.

On July of last year, Sandy Strehlou, the historic preservation coordinator for the Town, wrote a letter to the editors of Cottage Living, suggesting they feature the house in their "Does my house have potential?" section.

It has taken until this month, but the house is now a one page feature in the magazine. So has it helped “to find someone who would move the building to a lot elsewhere in town, thus retaining some of its historic context,” as Strehlou hoped it would?.

Yup, but a number of offers have come from people in other states. One cannot help but wonder if they have any idea of what would be involved -or the expense- in a cross-country move of the building, but the story has also helped attract local attention.

While we were interviewing Strehlou, a man came into the office and said he and his wife were in the process of investigating buying a lot an moving a house onto it, and expressed an interest in accepting the Frits house. Strehlou gave him a packet of information on the building, and some encouragement.

He is not alone in thinking about it. Darcy Nielsen sent Strehlou an email from Albania, and said she owned property on San Juan Island, and would consider moving the house onto her property in order to save it. So far it appears that Strehlou’s idea of national publicity may pave the way for moving the building, and since the County is now in the middle of spending a pile of money to remodel the Carlson Building for the Council’s administrative needs, it is unlikely the Frits building is going to be torn down anytime soon.

For additional information on the building, Sandy Strehlou can be contacted by email at sstrehlou@fridayharbor.org. or by phone: 378-2810