The Current
September 2012 • 13
community
‘Scene’ around Millwood …
J
ay Prior, proprietor of Custom Strings on Argonne, says his store in the historical district has become “a destination.” The downtown corridor sits just to the west of the Inland Empire Paper mill, the city’s industrial center since 1911.
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uxurious landscaping is a trademark of many homes in the historical district. In 2007, the Millwood Historical Society and Spokane Community College sponsored a walking tour through the neighborhood.
T
he Corner Door at 3301 N. Argonne is one of many commercial buildings in the Millwood Historical District constructed of terra cotta tile and a brick exterior.
M
illwood Mayor Dan Mork joined a group of residents this April in the planting of a pin oak in the historical district.
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uilt in 1910, the Salmons House at 8903 E. Liberty was described by one local newspaper in 1921 as “entirely modern.”
MILLWOOD Continued from page 12
venue within the district, including an Italian-style home built in 1925 that once belonged to a transplant from Wisconsin named W.A. Brazeau. The neighborhood includes highlights like the Williams House on North Dale with its steeply pitched roof and mix of Tu-
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variety of architectural styles are represented throughout the historical district, including Spanish, French, English and American Colonial.
n extensive resurfacing project on Argonne Road in 2009 brought upgrades to the pedestrian route along the town’s main thoroughfare.
dor and Colonial traditions and the Banta House on the same street, one of many bungalows built from an array of home pattern books provided by the paper mill. Even in the early days of the area, many of the residences were seen as a breed apart. The Salmons House, built in 1910, was described by one local newspaper in 1921 as “entirely modern.” “People once bought homes because they were a good deal,” Beese said. “Now
they buy them because they’re historic.” In 1928, Millwood — previously part of the Opportunity Township — became the first incorporated city in the greater Spokane Valley after a landslide vote. Around the same time, the paper mill funded the planting of maple trees that, over the years, became a trademark of the community. A symbol of the tree next to a meandering waterway is incorporated into Millwood’s official logo.
Millwood Mayor Dan Mork was on hand to plant a pin oak in the historical district during the city’s annual Arbor Day observance this spring. Mork, whose father grew up in a home within the district, says the patchwork of abundant greenery and uncommon architecture “is what gives the city its identity.” “I fly into some cities, and it looks like a Monopoly board,” Mork said. “Not here. It’s just an interesting, special area.”