Exciting Prospects for Collaboration between the Greater Leavenworth Museum and the Chumstick Grange #819

The Upper Valley Historical Society (UVHS) has had a busy year. In April they had their official ribbon cutting of the new location of the Greater Leavenworth Museum on Front Street, with a crowd of supporters coming to enjoy the well curated exhibits of the region’s colorful history. They also celebrated their 20^th anniversary. And now, UVHS is exploring the idea of leasing the Chumstick Grange. This would allow the museum to expand and further showcase aspects of the area’s history and cultural traditions. If UVHS is able to lease the building, there would still be access for Grange member meetings.

The idea has been percolating through informal conversations over the last few years, mostly between Matt Cade, UVHS president and Chumstick Grange #819 member, and Paul Gray, former UVHS member, member of the Chumstick Grange as well as president of the Chelan County Pomona Grange #23.

The Chumstick Grange, located on Front Street across from Gustav’s, is one of a network of hundreds of community halls throughout the nation, the first of which popped up 150 years ago. “The Grange was put together after the Civil War to recover the farming expertise lost with the farmers who fought and died,” explained Gray, who’s been a Grange member for decades. “The original idea was for the Grange Halls to be community meeting places less than a day's buggy or horseback ride apart.” The Grange is both a nonprofit legislative and agricultural education organization.

A brief history of the Grange Movement, written by former member Shirley Ward, describes how the Grange is “founded on the home, family and the farm.” The Grange gave collective voice to farmers, enabling them to protect their rights in the face of railroad monopolies, growing their economic empowerment and ensuring rural areas received infrastructure such as better highways, rural mail delivery, electrification, and farm credit.

Over the recent decades, Grange membership has diminished (active members number about a dozen). The local Grange members meet monthly, and the large open rooms, one on the main floor and one in the basement, have been used for a variety of community functions, such as church services, dance classes, concerts, craft fairs and 4H meetings. However, the building sits empty most of the time.

The museum has maximized its exhibit space in its home above the Nutcracker Museum. Leasing space from the Grange opens up a lot of exciting possibilities for both exhibits and the collections department. One such idea is having hands-on children’s museum style exhibits that bring the history of North Central Washington alive. Cade mentioned that a couple of passive hands-on elements relating to trains, logging and Bavarian-themed buildings recently added to the current museum have been very popular with young visitors.

The first step is a feasibility study, given the Chumstick Grange building dates back, at least in part, to 1910, beginning as a Great Northern Railway depot. Interestingly, the building was then used by a garden club and got sold to the Grange and moved to its current location, with the addition of a basement, in the 30’s.

UVHS would like to work with local architect Todd Smith of Syndicate Smith to ensure the building, despite its age, has integrity so that upgrades are within reach of UVHS, a nonprofit.

UVHS members are hopeful as they wait to hear back about grants to cover the majority of the feasibility study costs. In a statement about the feasibility study, Syndicate Smith outlined key items to be determined, including existing conditions, and needs related to ADA access, occupancy change, seismic soundness, moisture/water intrusion, mechanical/energy qualifications, use/circulation, and compliance with the Bavarian theme.

Gray said that ADA compliance will likely require installation of an elevator.

It sounds a bit daunting, but there are vocal supporters exploring this idea, including Margaret Neighbors, UVHS member and former city council member. “We need to know what, specifically, can be done with the site and building to ensure its historical integrity and serve both the Grange and the museum,” said Neighbors.

“We can think of no greater way to preserve our heritage than to save a valuable historic landmark, which currently houses the Chumstick Grange. This building represents the City of Leavenworth in its early heyday. It should be preserved to highlight that pre-Bavarianization era. If nothing is done, there is a very real potential that the building could be razed and replaced with more apartments and retail shops, and that would be a shame.”

The Grange includes empty hillside property to the east and west. Cade shared thoughts of how those spaces could be used. “UVHS's plans include adding a new structure to exhibit a fully restored 1939 Ford fire engine purchased by the City of Leavenworth [its sole owner]. Other plans include an outdoor amphitheater for plays, presentations, movies, and community meetings.”

Truly, UVHS and the Greater Leavenworth Museum, with these ambitious ideas, are living up to their adopted slogan of “a museum on the move.”

“I’m awestruck but also excited to see what will happen,” said Gray. “It’s going to take time and patience. Communicating with the community is key.”