You can still find physical traces of Mother Joseph in the old Providence Academy building at 400 E. Evergreen Blvd.
The multi-talented Catholic nun, who designed and helped build The Academy in the 1870s, had a background in woodworking. And during construction, she hand-carved several features throughout the building — including decorative elements on the railings in the building’s chapel.
Those carvings, along with other interior features, have been under threat in recent years as a lack of exterior maintenance left parts of the structure — especially the roof — leaking water into the chapel and other rooms. But the issues are finally being addressed this summer, as the Fort Vancouver National Trust launches a multimillion-dollar effort to restore the facility, one of Washington’s oldest and most historic buildings.
“When you have water in the building it only furthers the deterioration,” said Mike True, president and CEO of the Fort Vancouver National Trust. “It was definitely getting to the desperate stage.”
The trust acquired The Academy in February 2015 from the Hidden family, which was only its second owner — and the provider of most of the bricks that went into its construction long before Washington became a state. The Sisters of Providence, the first owners, sold the former school and orphanage to the Hiddens after it closed in 1966.
The trust received a $1 million appropriation from the state capital budget to purchase the site and begin renovations. It has also been gathering private donations for the project, True said. Phase 1, the exterior preservation, began this spring and should be finished by late fall.
“Our local delegation was very supportive of the project,” True said. “The state recognized the historical importance of the building. It’s definitely a spot the state of Washington recognizes as important.”
A remarkable legacy
Mother Joseph arrived at Fort Vancouver from Canada on Dec. 8, 1856, with a goal of caring for orphans, the sick and the elderly and of building a facility to serve the larger community. She and her organization, the Sisters of Charity, raised money to construct the iconic Providence Academy building in the 1870s. They moved into the partially finished building in 1874.
The building was completed with a new addition in 1891, and the structure today remains relatively unchanged — except for the damage that time has wrought.
Phase 1, which is expected to cost $1.8 million overall, includes upgrades to the main building’s exterior and roof structure, seismic improvements, and rebuilding exterior porches on the south side of the building, which also support the roof. As the porches are restored, they will include new structural support plates to help secure the building during an earthquake, said Karre Hyde, facilities manager for the trust and project manager at the site.
While the roof is off, workers are also tying the structure into steel anchors that have been added to the brickwork.
“It’s a very sound structure,” Hyde said, noting that the building still has its share of odd quirks.
When workers took the roof off this spring, for instance, they found six layers of different kinds of roofing beneath, marking where repairs had been made over the years.
Wall reconstruction, especially around the chapel, has also been a bit of a challenge.
“The walls of The Academy are varying thicknesses in that section,” Hyde said. “It’s five rows of brick thick in spots.”
That affects where braces go and how the building is laid out for seismic improvements, he said.
“When you do preservation work, the building tells a story,” Hyde said. “You can learn about how things were modified.”
Historical secrets
Workers also sometimes find historical objects in a project like this. Among the discoveries so far: an old carpenter’s wood plumb bob (a tool to create vertical features that is now mostly done by laser), a handmade hacksaw, a child’s ruler and a tin can that once seems to have contained rat poison, Hyde said.
“The tin can is from the 1930s or older — it has some lettering on it,” Hyde said.
“As we find artifacts of significance, we will put those items on display,” True said.
Internal features will be upgraded in future phases of construction, True added.
“Even just the basic electrical and plumbing needs work,” True said. “The bathrooms aren’t fully functioning. The heating and cooling systems aren’t consistent. Long term, this is about an $8 million to $10 million project to fill all the capital needs.”
One feature that’s high on that list is a long stairway that once wound from the entry to the attic. It was reduced to one story and blocked off as it decayed, but the trust is eager to restore it to its former glory, True said.
The ballroom also needs work, True said.
“It’s a nice assembly space for the community, but it needs new carpeting, better fixtures and a more consistent look,” True said. “We’ve got our work cut out for us, but we’re having fun. It’s really an honor to preserve a building like this.”
Phase 1 should be finished in October or November. After that, probably this winter, workers will start doing some interior projects, he said, but completion will depend on financing.
The building is home to 65 small businesses, but rents don’t even quite cover the cost of upkeep, so money for restoration will have to come from other sources.
“Our community has been very generous,” True said. “Some of the long-term improvements are dependent on fundraising. We’ve been doing that quietly so far, but we may do more outreach in the future.”
Former restaurant
The trust plans to demolish a building in The Academy’s parking lot that was once a nightclub and Mexican restaurant. That building is currently being used as a construction office by the Phase I contractor, C.E. John.
“Eventually we’d like to see that building removed so we can develop the southern landscape,” True said.
Another goal is to ramp up tourism to the building. The trust wants to encourage public engagement, and it plans to ramp up a volunteer docent program and a tour office at The Academy.
“There’s so much history and importance to this building in our community,” True said. “We give about 5,000 tours a year informally.”
Finally, the trust is looking at landscaping and ADA accessibility. There are no ramps that meet requirements for wheelchair users. The building’s one elevator is old and doesn’t meet current accessibility standards.
Once complete, though, the improvements should have a lasting impact, True said.
“It can last another hundred years,” he said. “And after the exterior is done, we’ll plan future renovations of the inside of this building and its public spaces.”
