12 • September 2012
A stroll through the past
community
The Current
Millwood Historical District stands apart as Valley gem Story and photos by Craig Howard Current Contributor
The downtown brick facades, the venerable homes layered with character, even the flourishing tree-lined avenues — all this and more could well be missing from the city of Millwood if a man named W.A. Brazeau had not stumbled across a newspaper article back in 1909. The Wisconsin businessman was on his way to Seattle to attend the Alaska-YukonPacific Exposition when his train made a scheduled stop in Spokane. Brazeau happened to notice a story in the daily paper about an ambitious paper mill project slated for an area just east of the city. The price tag on the venture was said to be in the neighborhood of $1 million. Intrigued, Brazeau left the train and toured the area himself. When the original deal for the mill failed to materialize, he returned to Wisconsin and presented the idea to fellow representatives of the Nekoosa-Edwards Paper Co. By 1910, construction had begun. In addition to a considerable investment from Nekoosa-Edwards, capital emerged locally through the Inland Empire Paper Co., and by Sept. 1, 1911, the mill was producing paper a short jaunt from the Spokane River. Before long, commercial structures like a restaurant, lumber yard, general store and barber shop had cropped up around the town’s industrial center. Bobbie Beese can tell you the entire history of this area, going back to a time well before Brazeau when the Upper Spokane tribe gathered to set up winter camp and fish for salmon. Beese has lived in Millwood for nearly 40 years and, in the mid1990s, began work on an application for a section of the community to be included on the National Historic Registry. Eventually, the quadrant would earn placement on both the state and national nostalgic honor roll. “If you walk through the district, you’ll notice some really interesting buildings,” Beese said. “A lot of it is just educating people about what we have here.” That inventory includes the downtown corridor just across the street from the Inland Empire Paper Mill, still going strong after a century. Beese is the co-owner of
Over two dozen homes are included in the Millwood Historical District, including this Tudor-influenced, Norman revival residence known as the Rosebush House. one of those buildings, now known as The Corner Door, an eclectic retail site that also serves an appetizing menu in the style of old malt shops. After purchasing the building in 1992, Beese learned more of its history from residents who would stop by and chat. When she began compiling the nomination for the historical registry a few years later, Beese drew upon the recollections of locals once again. “I realized there was all this history, and no one was writing it down,” she said. “Researching it was fun. You start to notice things you hadn’t before.” On the same block as The Corner Door, businesses hawk everything from golf equipment to mountain bikes to championship plaques. At Custom Strings, a wellmaintained space just a few doors down from Beese, Jay Prior sells and repairs violins, cellos and other instruments. He says that while most shoppers may not be
aware that the shop is part of an historical district, the location has been a plus for business. “I like the fact that people walk up and down the sidewalk,” Prior said. “I could have paid a lot more money for a polished look in a mini-mall, but I like the atmosphere here.” Like many of the proprietors along the corridor, Prior has made improvements to his site while maintaining the integrity of the original structure. A new wood floor placed over checkerboard tile adds to the effect of a condensed concert hall. “The acoustics are great in here,” Prior said. An extensive overhaul of Argonne Road in the summer of 2009 brought improved conditions for pedestrians while returning some of the main street friendliness to the bustling north/south thoroughfare. City Hall, meanwhile, has made sure to insti-
tute policies that curb against garish signage and other commercial clutter. “We like to talk about ‘the Millwood brand,’” Beese said. “We’re a small town that emphasizes things like community, parks, history and sidewalks. If you drive down Trent, it starts looking a little different.” That look includes the distinctive terrain of the district’s residential section, represented by over two dozen homes. Diverse architectural genres are featured throughout the neighborhood, including American Colonial style, Italian villas, English and French cottages and Spanish stucco. In 2007, Beese helped organize a walking tour through the district with help from Spokane Community College. A decade earlier, a book was published that provided a map and description of each
See MILLWOOD, page 13