October 7, 2026

People and projects statewide celebrated for historic preservation

Photos courtesy of the SHPO [enlarge]

Save Our Station rescued and relocated Cheney’s historic Northern Pacific train depot, now located downtown.

Each year, the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) recognizes individuals and organizations whose exceptional work preserved Washington's historic places.

The officer, Allyson Brooks, Ph.D., heads up Washington state's Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation. As its slogan states, the department intends to “protect the past, shape the future.”

The awards were presented and celebrated yesterday at the PLACES conference in Ellensburg, an annual gathering of professionals and volunteers who work statewide supporting the Washington Main Street Program, a preservation-based, economic development organization.

“Each of these projects tells a different story, but they share a common thread,” said Brooks. “They show what is possible when people recognize the value of historic places and are willing to invest in their future.”

This year's honorees are:

CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, architectural historian and educator

[enlarge]

Jeffrey Karl Ochsner lecturing at the Seattle Public Library Central Branch for Seattle Architecture Foundation.

Jeffrey Karl Ochsner is recognized for nearly four decades of teaching, scholarship and mentorship in architecture and historic preservation at the University of Washington College of Built Environments. Ochsner has introduced generations of students to architectural history, preservation and urban design. His scholarship includes extensive research on the architecture of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, and his work as editor of the Shaping Seattle Architecture reference book has made an important contribution to understanding the region's architectural history. His former students have gone on to become architects, planners, preservation professionals, public officials and community leaders, extending his influence throughout Washington and beyond.

Keith Phillips, master stone carver, Tenino

Keith Phillips is recognized for more than four decades of work preserving Washington's traditional stone-carving craft. Phillips helped revive the historic Tenino sandstone carving tradition after arriving in the community in the 1980s as an apprentice under master stone carver Lorenz “Larry” Scheel. Phillips' work can be found on important historic landmarks throughout Washington, including buildings on the Washington State Capitol Campus, Stadium High School, museums, churches and lighthouses. Perhaps most significantly, Phillips has passed his knowledge to a new generation through apprenticeships, workshops, demonstrations and the Tenino Stone Carvers Guild.

POSTHUMOUS CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Guy Moura

Guy Moura is recognized for a 40-year career contributing to Washington's cultural heritage, archaeology, Native American Tribal education, and historic preservation. Moura was the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. He was long associated with the Colville Reservation, and worked in a variety of positions with the tribes' Historic and Archaeology Program in Nespelem. His archaeological profession began in Maine and then across Washington state studying precontact and historic archaeological sites. He was an author and an advocate for the protection of Native American cultural places. As a tribal historic preservation officer, his efforts included the protection of Chief Joseph and Lake Roosevelt cultural resources along the upper Columbia River.

VALERIE SIVINSKI AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING REHABILITATION

Christa Harvey, Bowker House, Lacey

Christa Harvey is recognized for her determination to rehabilitate the Bowker House, one of Lacey's important historic properties. Built around 1892 by George and Lucinda Bowker, the house was Lacey's first property listed on the local historic register. When Harvey purchased the property in 2019, it lacked plumbing, electricity, heat, insulation, and numerous windows, doors and walls. Through a challenging rehabilitation process, Harvey restored historic features while adapting the property for contemporary use. The project demonstrates how persistence and thoughtful rehabilitation can return a severely deteriorated historic building to productive use.

Steve and Tresa Schmautz, Hotel Collins, Spokane

[enlarge]

Hotel Collins in Spokane was restored by Steve and Tresa Schmautz and now provides affordable apartments with social services at street level.

Steve and Tresa Schmautz are recognized for their rehabilitation of the historic Hotel Collins in Spokane that transformed a historic downtown building into 42 deeply affordable homes, providing residents experiencing homelessness and housing instability with a stable place to live that integrates services and support in a single building. Service provider Dignified Workday is located on the ground floor of the rehabilitated property. The project demonstrates the potential financial benefits of historic preservation. Through the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit program, the project recouped 20 percent of its budget, helping make the rehab financially viable.

Tacoma Public Schools, Oakland Secondary School

[enlarge]

Tacoma Public Schools rehabilitated Oakland Secondary School, restoring the historic exterior while modernizing the interiors.

Tacoma Public Schools is recognized for the rehabilitation of Oakland Secondary School, a historic Tacoma landmark originally constructed in 1912. The project preserved the building's historic exterior while comprehensively modernizing the interior for contemporary educational needs. Work included seismic reinforcement, restoration of the original brick and stone exterior, and rehabilitation of approximately 100 historic wood-framed windows. The renewed campus also includes a health clinic and daycare, demonstrating how historic schools can be adapted to serve students and families today while preserving their architectural and community significance.

OUTSTANDING STEWARDSHIP AWARD

Save Our Station, Cheney Depot, Cheney

[enlarge]

Cheney’s historic Northern Pacific Depot was picked up in one piece and moved to its new location.

Save Our Station (SOS) is recognized for saving Cheney's historic Northern Pacific Depot from demolition. Beginning in 2013, SOS organized a community campaign to preserve the depot and ultimately relocate it near downtown Cheney. The building was moved in one piece and rehabilitated with extensive volunteer participation. Today, the depot once again serves as an active community gathering place, with businesses and restaurants occupying its historic spaces.

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Northern Pacific Railway Museum, Locomotive 1364

The Northern Pacific Railway Museum in Toppenish is recognized for a remarkable 32-year restoration of Northern Pacific Railway Locomotive 1364. Acquired in 1994 as a derelict steam locomotive, 1364 was painstakingly rebuilt by museum volunteers. Today, it is the only operational mainline steam locomotive from the Northern Pacific Railway. The restoration preserves an important piece of Washington's railroad heritage while allowing visitors to experience the technology, craftsmanship and history of the railroad era firsthand.

CEMETERY PRESERVATION AWARD

American Legion Post 125 and volunteers, Granite Falls American Legion Cemetery

American Legion Post 125 and community volunteers are recognized for restoring and documenting the Granite Falls American Legion cemetery. Over a two-year period, volunteers contributed hundreds of hours to clearing debris, cleaning and restoring gravestones, improving landscaping, straightening markers, and making the cemetery more accessible. More than 1,600 interment records were also documented and connected to physical grave locations, creating a new resource for visitors and researchers. The project not only improved the cemetery but also helped re-energize community participation in the American Legion.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION EDUCATION AWARD

The Historic Trust docent team, Vancouver

The Historic Trust's 17 volunteer docents are recognized for their exceptional contribution to preservation education. In 2025, the team contributed more than 3,000 hours leading tours and supporting programs at Providence Academy and Marshall House in Vancouver. Their work connects visitors with the histories of these important sites while helping the public understand the people and communities behind the buildings. Through regular tours, special events, preservation month activities and community outreach, the docents demonstrate the important role volunteers play in bringing historic places to life.

The DJC edited the SHPO's winner profiles for length and clarity.