8625 310th Ave SE
Preston, WA, USA

National Register of Historic Places - Preston Community Clubhouse (Preston Park; Preston Community Center; King Center Park No.; 12)

Statement of Significant:

The Preston Community Clubhouse is historically significant under Criterion "A" for its association with events that made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of local history. The building is a direct product of a nationwide Depression-era economic recovery program that had a significant impact on the physical development of King County. Funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the structure is closely associated with the Preston Community Club, a civic recreational and booster club. The building is also historically significant under Criterion "C" as an excellent example of Depression-era public architecture, known variously as Park Service Rustic or the CCC-style. The clubhouse is one of eight WPA-built fieldhouses/ clubhouses that were constructed in communities throughout the county to serve the recreational needs of the citizenry. Of these, five are still extant. Additional site features which support the overall rustic design concept include a dry laid stone masonry wall. Today the Preston clubhouse continues to function as an important recreational and community facility in Preston and is one of the best of a lasting legacy of Depression-era public buildings in King County.

The Preston Community Clubhouse

The clubhouse was built on five acres of donated property by the Preston Mill Company and came about through the efforts of the Preston Community Club. Organized in 1935 by a small group of citizens who felt the need for a community recreation facility, the community club first met in the Preston Mercantile Store (located on the site of the nominated property). The owner, Charles Erickson, had given the newly formed club free use of the building and permission to make any repairs and/or alterations that were deemed necessary to the building. After many days and nights of hard labor, the building was fit for use, and an organizing meeting was held. Election of officers proceeded and John Skoglund was elected as the first president of the Preston Community Club. Although public opinion was against the efforts put forth by the newly formed group, the organization prospered. When the WPA Recreational Council in Seattle got wind of the newly organized club, a team from Seattle met with the group to discuss the possibility of sponsoring a variety of WPA classes and programs.

Acting on the advice of WPA leaders, an application was made by the Community Club to the WPA for improvements to be made to the existing structure. After several trips to Seattle and Olympia, and a letter writing campaign, $9,900 dollars in WPA funds were awarded to the group. According to WPA Press release # 466, the project included moving and reconstructed a building; plumbing, painting and fencing; as well as the installation of a tennis court, handball, court and horseshoe pits. However, when work began to build a new foundation under their clubhouse, the mercantile store, the structure was deemed unsafe and work immediately stopped. The club then turned their energies to more grant writing and was eventually appropriated money for the construction of a new building. Razing of the old clubhouse began in June of 1938 and work progressed slowly on the new building over the next year-and-a-half. Reportedly timber for the clubhouse was acquired from the surrounding forest lands and is comprised of high-altitude white fir.

While the architect and main contractor for the clubhouse is unknown, the resulting Arts & Crafts style structure opened to a grand dedication ceremony on Saturday February 24th, 1940. The evening ceremony, held at 8pm, included music by the Issaquah High School Band, an invocation by the Rev. J.S. Umberger of the Issaquah Community Church, and several addresses by local and state dignitaries including County Commissioner Tom Smith who hand been instrumental in helping the Club receive WPA funding. The main speaker for the celebration, Rev. Dr. Emil Friborg of the Swedish Baptist Church in Seattle (who was a friend of former Preston Mill owner August Lovegren), was not able to attend the ceremony at the last minute due to an illness. At the close of the program, the Preston Ladies Service Club served sandwiches for the big crowd (no report on exact numbers).

At the time, the Club had grown to around 90 members and club president Clifford Johnson over saw a new constitution and the development of bylaws. Today the clubhouse continues to serve as an important gathering place for the citizens of the small, tightly knit community of Preston. The clubhouse and surrounding land were turned over to the King County Parks & Recreation Department in the late 1940s. In 1995 the department acquired the adjacent former mill site and is currently in the planning process for a long-term master plan. The Preston Community Club continues to work towards organizing town events and serves as a liaison to local and state governments.