CITY OF LYNDEN Reconnaissance Level Survey 2018-01-00051
Lynden, Whatcom County, Washington September 2018
Report prepared and survey conducted by: Katie Pratt, Architectural Historian, Northwest Vernacular, Inc. Spencer Howard, Historic Preservationist, Northwest Vernacular, Inc. Contents
Acknowledgments 5 1. RESEARCH DESIGN 6
Objectives 6
Survey Methodology 6
Expectations 8
Area Surveyed 9
Integration with Planning Process 10 2. HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT 12
Natural Setting 12
Pre history 12
1800–1860 Early settlement 14
1870–1899 Logging Community 16
1900–1909 Logging to Agriculture 23
1910–1919 Commercial Growth 28
1920–1929 City Growth 31
1930–1939 Depression Era Growth 35
1940–1949 Density and INdustrial Growth 37
1950–1959 Post World War II Growth 39
1960–1969 Subdivision Expansions 41
1970–1979 Population growth 43
1980–1989 Business District Changes 44
1990–2018 Subdivision Growth 45 3. SURVEY RESULTS 47
Development Periods 47
Property Uses 48
Architectural Styles 51
National Register and Washington Heritage Register Eligibility 51
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 2 Lynden Register of Historic Places Eligibility 55
Recommendations 63
Development Trends 64 4. APPENDIX 65
Bibliography 65
Maps 67
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 3 LIST OF TABLES AND MAPS
Table 1. Survey Reports within and adjacent City of Lynden 9
Table 2. Population Data 1890 to 1910 24
Table 3. Properties Surveyed by Development Period 47
Table 4. Property Types Surveyed 48
Table 5. Architectural Styles of Properties Surveyed 51
Table 6. Potential NR Eligible Properties per Criterion C 53
Table 7. Table: Potential LR Eligible Properties per Criterion 2 57
Map 1. Survey area. 68
Map 2. Citywide survey selection. 69
Map 3. Downtown survey selection. 70
Map 4. Properties to be surveyed. 71
Map 5. Eligibility recommendations for surveyed properties. 72
Map 6. Surveyed properties by decade built. 73
Map 7. Surveyed properties by use. 74
Map 8. Surveyed properties by structural material. 75
Map 9. Surveyed properties by architectural style. 76
Map 10. 1891 Sanborn 77
Map 11. 1903 Sanborn 78
Map 12. 1907 Sanborn 79
Map 13. 1925 Sanborn 80
Map 14. 1929 Sanborn 81
Map 15. 1942 Sanborn 82
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors of this historic property survey report wish to express their sincerest thanks to the following organizations and individuals for providing their insight, and assistance throughout this project:
CITY OF LYNDEN • Dave Timmer, City Planner • Christina R. Brewer, GIS Analyst
LYNDEN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION (LHPC) • Mark Bratt, Chair • Patti Leach, Vice-chair • Karin Schulhauser • Denny DeMeyer • Troy Luginbill
“This publication has been funded with the assistance of a matching grant-in-aid from the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation and the Historic Preservation Fund, National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Any opinion, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior. Regulations of the U.S. Department of the Interior strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age or handicap. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility operated by a recipient of Federal assistance should write to: Office of Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 1201 Eye Street, NW (2740) Washington, DC 20005”
“The activity that is the subject of this Survey Report has been financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Department of the Interior.”
Cover Images:
(upper left) Undated view of the Waples Department Store along Front Street. Image courtesy of the Pioneer Museum. (upper right) Undated view of a single family residence in Lynden. Image courtesy of the Pioneer Museum. (lower) Undated view northwest along Front Street. Image courtesy of the Pioneer Museum.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 5 1. Research Design
OBJECTIVES
The survey objectives listed below support the continued growth of the City’s new Certified Local Government (CLG) program and the identification and protection of historic buildings within the city. • Objective 1: Historic context development to support the identification and evaluation of potential historic properties within the City of Lynden and highlight areas for further research; • Objective 2: Identify potential historic properties within the City of Lynden; and, • Objective 3: Evaluate identified properties for potential eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), City of Lynden Historic Register of Historic Places (LRHP), and Washington State Heritage Barn Register to establish a baseline for potential outreach to property owners to encourage the preservation and rehabilitation of eligible historic properties.
SURVEY METHODOLOGY
The project consisted of two primary tasks: strategic planning guidance to support the Lynden Historic Preservation Commission (LHPC) for the next five years until the city updates its comprehensive plan, and a reconnaissance-level survey and inventory of 100 properties within the city limits. Northwest Vernacular (NWV) conducted a project kick-off meeting on January 3, 2018, with the LHPC and City staff to discuss goals and priorities for shaping the strategic planning work and to begin the identification of which properties to survey. Following the meeting, NWV staff walked through downtown Lynden and drove around the city to gain a better understanding for the types of existing properties.
Based on initial input from the LHPC, City staff, and field observations, NWV focused on six concentration areas, outlined below. Refer to the Survey selection maps (“Map 2. Citywide survey selection.” on page 69 and “Map 3. Downtown survey selection.” on page 70) for the initial drafts provided to the HPC and the City for final selection. • The commercial core along both sides of Front Street and along Judson Street Alley at the west end. The commercial core is a key anchor to the city and is its historic “Main Street” corridor. • The residential area which extends along both sides of Front Street at either end of the commercial core. Front Street is a notable entry route to the city. Surveying the full length would quickly exceed 100 properties, so we focused on the segments abutting the commercial district. • Agricultural properties within the city. Lynden’s history is closely tied to agriculture and subdivision growth within the last 40 years has dramatically reduced open farmland and agricultural buildings within the city limits.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 6 • 1800s era properties within the city based on assessor data. There were quite a few of these properties. Using Google Street view we focused in on those which appeared to have the most potential integrity. • Mid-20th century residences within the city. The city experienced substantial mid-20th century housing growth and we surveyed those that appeared to be some of the better examples. This was cut during the final selection. • Industrial buildings around the railroad branch connection with Lynden. The railroad branch line was a key economic engine for the city with industrial buildings developed around the depot and rail connection. This was cut during the final selection. • Lynden High School and gymnasium, currently used as an elementary school. The LHPC and City staff reviewed the potential property list and made the final selection of the properties to survey. Refer to the “Map 4. Properties to be surveyed.” on page 71 prepared by the City of Lynden.
Archival research entailed working with the Lynden Pioneer Museum to obtain digital copies of historic photographs and tracking down primary and secondary sources. NWV staff utilized the City of Seattle library for access to published histories on Lynden. Many of these histories told the story of Lynden through different individuals, companies, and events. Polk City Directories provided general overviews of development patterns and businesses, though these were bundled under Whatcom County and were limited in the level of detail. Articles from the Lynden Tribune provided additional details on specific events and some growth patterns within the city. The Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) provided statistics on population growth. NWV ordered a set of Sanborn Fire Insurance maps from EDR, a data collection resource, which assisted greatly in reviewing development patterns within the commercial district. The City of Lynden provided scans of plats and GIS data on properties within the city limits which informed the assessment of overall development patterns. Heritage Quest and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) provided data on early residents and settlement patterns. NRHP and LRHP nominations provided additional contextual background.
Survey and field work entailed mailing notices to property owners of the surveyed properties and field work by NWV staff. NWV staff worked with the City to develop the notices informing owners of the survey work and who to contact for additional information. NWV developed a digital form for field use based on WISAARD reconnaissance level survey needs and prepared field maps showing the properties to survey. As part to the survey work, staff assessed building integrity level (plan, windows, cladding, and other) and made recommendations based on National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) Criterion C architectural significance for potential individual NRHP and Lynden Register of Historic Places (LRHP), as well as if the property is in a potential NRHP historic district and if so, if it potentially contributes based on Criterion C. Staff also listed character-defining features for each property, which were then used in writing up the physical descriptions. Staff used mobile phones to take at least two photographs of each property and to complete the field forms. All images were renamed using the following convention: StreetName_ House#_twodigitseries#.
Due to previous facade alterations in the commercial core, sorting out the extents of each property was immensely difficult in the field from both the front and back of the building. To
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 7 Surveyed properties shown in red relative to the city limits. understand where one building ended and the next began and estimated construction dates, we overlaid Sanborn Fire Insurance maps on the parcels in GIS (years 1942, 1929, 1925, 1907, and 1891) to sort out building footprints. All changes were tracked in a building footprint layer in GIS and provided to the City along with the georeferenced maps. Refer to Sanborn overlay maps starting with “Map 10. 1891 Sanborn” on page 77 for details.
Writing, editing, Washington Information System for Architectural & Archaeological Records Data (WISAARD) data entry, and production followed. During data entry into WISAARD staff cross checked existing forms to link new data to previously prepared forms, such as with the Pioneer Museum. NWV staff wrote physical descriptions for each property. Staff uploaded and captioned photographs and completed form data entry for each property. Layout for the survey report occurred in InDesign to integrate text and graphics. All analysis maps were produced using QGIS by NWV.
Findings for the survey were presented at a public meeting on August 28, 2018 held at the Jansen Art Center Chamber Hall in Lynden. The City of Lynden mailed out notices to owners of the properties surveyed to notify them of the public meeting and published a notice in the Lynden Tribune.
EXPECTATIONS
NWV expected few National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) individually eligible properties in the commercial core due to the extent of previous alterations to create a Dutch-themed downtown. We expected a small number of NRHP eligible residences, due to the character of the residential areas immediately around the commercial core. We did not expect to identify a potential NRHP historic district due to the extent of building alterations observed on the initial
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 8 drive through the city. We did expect to identify a fair number of Lynden Register of Historic Place individually eligible properties. Refer to survey results for how surveyed properties related to our expectations.
AREA SURVEYED
The City of Lynden city limits served as the geographic and jurisdictional boundary for the survey project. Refer to “Methodology” above for the process of how properties within the city limits were selected for survey work. The historic context addresses the full city limits. Refer to the “Map 1. Survey area.” on page 68 for the overall extent and the parcels surveyed. The final properties and number differed slightly from those identified by the HPC due to field conditions. Generally, these were properties we had thought were older based on Whatcom County Assessor property data, but during the field work determined that they were contemporary. During the field work we identified a unique stone residence and church building and included them. The agricultural and school sites also yielded several forms. As a result, the total number of surveyed properties is 109.
Thematically, the survey project focused on residential and commercial, with a few educational, religious, and agricultural buildings.
Temporal boundaries for the survey project were from the 1800s through 1971. The historic context provides a brief overview of each of the most recent decades from the 1970s through 2018 to understand recent changes and development patterns that could potentially affect the preservation of historic properties within the city.
Previous survey reports within and immediately adjacent the City of Lynden city limits focused largely on compliance projects. Refer to Table 1 on page 9 below for a list of previous survey work based on data available from WISAARD.
Table 1. Survey Reports within and adjacent City of Lynden
TITLE AUTHOR NADB REPORT DATE A Cultural Resource Survey of Washington State Department of Transportation’s SR 539: Ten Mile Road to International Boundary Project, Whatcom County, Washington Robinson, Joan M. 1339647 4/29/1998 An Assessment of Historic Structures and Archaeological Potential Along Guide Meridian Road (SR 539), Ten Mile Road to the International Boundary, Whatcom County, Washington Emerson, Stephen 1339685 9/1/1996 A Cultural Resources Survey of the Washington State Department of Transportation’s SR 539: Ten Mile Road to International Boundary Project Crisson, Fred 1348269 2/1/2006 SR 539: Ten Mile Road to International Boundary Project, Pond Site #1-21714 Engseth, Martin F. 1349594 4/5/2007
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 9 TITLE AUTHOR NADB REPORT DATE Archaeological Pedestrian Survey and Shovel Test Excavation Results for the Leroy Lagerway 2011 EQIP Project Radolph, Joseph 1681155 7/21/2011 Letter to Ross Widener RE: Archaeological Review of the Proposed Water Treatment Plant Replacement Phase I, Lynden Baldwin, Garth L. 1682375 6/14/2012 Cultural Resources Assessment of the Pepin Creek Relocation Project, Lynden, Whatcom County, Washington Baldwin, Garth L. 1684191 3/28/2013
Previously listed properties within the City of Lynden follow below: • Lynden Cemetery, listed to the Washington Heritage Register (WHR) in 2014. • US Post Office Lynden Main, listed to the NRHP and WHR in 1991. • Lynden Department Store, listed to the NRHP, and WHR in 2011. • The Lauckhart Building, listed to the LRHP in 2018.
INTEGRATION WITH PLANNING PROCESS
The survey supports local comprehensive planning and the purpose of the city’s Historic Preservation Ordinance (No. 1492), adopted in 2015, stated in Chapter 19.65 Section 10 Purpose, and as provided in Chapter 84.26 RCW to: • Safeguard the heritage of the City of Lynden as represented by those buildings, districts, objects, sites and structures which reflect significant elements of the City of Lynden’s history; • Foster civic and neighborhood pride in the beauty and accomplishments of the past, and a sense of identity based on the City of Lynden’s history; • Stabilize or improve the aesthetic and economic vitality and values of such sites, improvements and objects; • Assist, encourage and provide incentives to private owners for preservation, restoration, redevelopment and use of outstanding historic buildings, districts, objects, sites and structures; • Promote and facilitate the early identification and resolution of conflicts between preservation of historic resources and alternative land uses; and, • Conserve valuable material and energy resources by ongoing use and maintenance of the existing built environment. The survey supports the following goals from the 2014-2019 Washington State Historic Preservation Plan. Goal numbers and supporting policy letters stem from the preservation plan. • Goal 1. Enhance communities by actively engaging historic preservation with other forces shaping our environment.
o E. Enhance local program support.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 10 • Goal 2. Engage a broad spectrum of the public in preservation; and improve access to information.
o D. Build awareness, enthusiasm, and support for historic preservation. • Goal 3. Strengthen policies and planning processes to enhance informed and cross disciplinary decision-making for managing cultural and historic resources.
o A. Position historic preservation to be more fully integrated into land use decision-making processes.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 11 2. Historical Development
NATURAL SETTING
Lynden is roughly centered within the lower Nooksack River valley on fertile river bottom land, just over 5 miles south of the Canada–US border and approximately 15 miles northeast of Bellingham. The Nooksack River passes along the south side of the city and is an important water source, providing irrigation for farms, drainage for flood waters, and serving as a means for early transportation. The Nooksack River only flows within Whatcom County and drains a roughly 645 square mile area. The city is sited on a slight ridge (approximately 50 feet) above the river, diminishing the risk of flooding. Fishtrap Creek runs along the north side of the historic downtown, draining into the Nooksack River further to the west. Old growth timber stands along the Nooksack River valley supported the community’s early logging focus and the rich agricultural lands sustained the growth of agriculture and related industry and commercial development.
PRE HISTORY
Present-day Lynden is located within the Nooksack Indian Tribe’s ancestral homeland.1 The following narratives of Nooksack Territory and History stem from the Nooksack Indian Tribe’s website (www.nooksacktribe.org/about). They convey the tribe’s history in their own words and highlight relevant overlap with lands in and around present-day Lynden.
Nooksack Territory
By Allan Richardson, February 6, 2012
Nooksack territory, within which they had direct access to resources, extended into Skagit County on the south, into British Columbia on the north, and from Georgia Strait on the west to the area around Mt. Baker on the east. The territory included a primary Nooksack area, not open to free use by members of other groups, and joint-use areas, which were shared with neighboring groups.
The primary Nooksack area was the Nooksack River watershed from near its mouth to its headwaters surrounding Mt. Baker, plus most of the Sumas River drainage south of the present international boundary. There was separate kin group (family) ownership of root digging plots at Nuxwsá7aq, the place which gave its name to the river and the people. Other, non-Nooksack people could use the resources in the Nooksack area if they shared descent from Nooksack ancestors or if they were tied to living Nooksack families by marriage. Joint-use areas occurred at the edges of Nooksack territory, including the upper North Fork shared with the Chilliwack, the upper South Fork also used by Skagit River people, and Lake Whatcom with a mixed Nooksack and Nuwhaha village. All of the salt water areas used by the Nooksack were also used by other groups: Chuckanut Bay, Samish Bay and Bellingham Bay were shared with the Nuwhaha, Samish and Lummi; Cherry Point, Birch Bay, Semiahmoo Bay and surrounding areas were shared with the Lummi and Semiahmoo.
Access to resources controlled by other groups was important, although perhaps not essential to survival. On the basis of shared descent or marriage ties most Nooksacks could traditionally have
1. Nooksack Tribe (2017). City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 12 fished on the Fraser, Skagit and Samish Rivers. Similarly, the resources of Birch Bay and Semiahmoo Bay would have been accessed through these kin ties before these areas were abandoned by their native people in the early to mid 19th century.
A strong sense of territory is reinforced by the distribution of Nooksack place names, which are concentrated in the primary Nooksack area and the joint-use areas.
History
By Allan Richardson, February 1, 2012
Nooksack Indian history goes back thousands of years. According to Native tradition, the people have been here from time immemorial—basically since the beginning of human existence on this land. There is nothing in Nooksack tradition of ever living anywhere else. Studies in linguistics and archaeology indicate a stable population of speakers of Salish languages, with no migration into the Georgia Straits/Puget Sound region, for the past several thousand years.
The Nooksack people occupied the watershed of the Nooksack River from the high mountain area surrounding Mt. Baker to the salt water at Bellingham Bay, and extended into Canada north of Lynden and in the Sumas area. The Nooksack population 250 years ago was probably about 1,200 to 1,500 people, now there are about 2,000 Members enrolled in the Nooksack Tribe. Research has identified 25 traditional winter village sites, although no more than maybe 15 of these were occupied at any one time, even before the severe population decline of the historic period caused by the new diseases. Most of these villages were in four clusters along the Nooksack River between modern Lynden and the mouth of the South Fork above Deming. The people used a broad area for hunting, fishing, gathering of foods, and traveling to visit other groups.
The Nooksack were one of many Indian groups which were party to the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855, in which title to the land of much of western Washington was exchanged for recognition of fishing, hunting and gathering rights, and a guarantee of certain government services. The Nooksack were not granted a reservation. They were expected to move to the Lummi Reservation, but few did. In 1873 and 1874 attempts were made to move the Nooksacks to the reservation, but it became clear that they would not move without military force and it was recommended that the Nooksack Indians be allowed to remain in the Nooksack Valley (Richardson 1977, 1979:10-11). Following this, Nooksacks were able to gain legal title to small portions of their traditional lands, including many of the village sites, by filing homestead claims on them. In 1874 only the lower, downriver Lynden and Everson areas had been surveyed, and seven homestead claim applications were made at this time. These included the claims of James Seclamatan (Lynden Jim, Selhámetan), surrounding Sqwehálich and of George Olooseus (Welósiws) surrounding Kwánech village. These first homesteads received five-year restricted patents under provisions of an Act of Congress passed on March 3, 1875. None of these lands are in Indian ownership today with the exception of the two tribal cemeteries on Northwood Road. As upriver areas were surveyed, 30 additional homestead claims were filed, with 29 trust titles eventually were granted to 3,847 acres under provisions of the Indian Homestead Act of 1884 (Richardson 1977). These trust homesteads included many village sites, such as Xelxál7altxw on the John Suchanon (Long Johnny) homestead, Spálhxen on the Johnson homestead, Yexsáy on the Sampson Santla homestead, and Nuxw7íyem on the Charley Adass homestead. These lands have since been administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and some 2,400 acres remain in trust today. About half of the 2,000 enrolled members of the tribe currently live on or near Nooksack trust lands.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 13 In just a few decades, Nooksack settlement was transformed from traditional villages of cedar plank longhouses to homesteads on a Euro-American model. The Nooksack held secure title, as individuals, to a very small fraction of their traditional lands which had been almost entirely held in common. In spite of the change in land ownership, and despite living on small homestead farms, there were many continuities with the traditional past. The homesteads were all within a short distance of the traditional villages, which were also small and scattered. After homesteading, and well into the 20th century, the Nooksack continued to depend heavily for food on fishing, hunting and gathering at traditional places named in Lhéchelesem.
Since the Nooksack were not granted a separate reservation, they were no longer recognized as a Tribe by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, yet they continued to function as a Tribe. In 1926, they met under the leadership of George Swanaset to join in the Dwamish, et al. v. The United States case before the Court of Claims; in 1935 the Nooksack Tribe voted to accept the Indian Reorganization Act, but the Tribe was not permitted to organize under the act since it was not a recognized Tribe. In the 1950s the Tribe, under the leadership of Joe Louie, pursued a land claim case with the Indian Claims Commission (ICC). The ICC decided in 1955 that the Nooksack were indeed a Tribe of Indians whose lands had been taken without compensation, but that they only “exclusively occupied and used” a small portion of their traditional territory (Indian Claims Commission, Docket No. 46). It was further decided that the value of the lands at the time of the treaty was $0.65 per acre and only this amount would be paid. A payment of $43,383 for 80,000 acres of the 400,000 acres claimed was provided by Congress in 1965. The 400,000 acre claim includes a large majority of the places named in the Nooksack language that are south of the U.S.-Canada boundary. The land claim money was distributed in equal portions on a per capita basis to each recognized descendant of the Nooksack Tribe of 1855.
In the 1960s, the Tribe had a Community Action Program and launched an effort to gain federal recognition. In 1970, the Tribe gained title to four buildings on an acre of land, which became the Nooksack Reservation and is the location of the present Tribal Center in Deming. In 1973, full Federal recognition was granted. In 1974, the Nooksack Tribe joined the United States v. Washington case as a treaty tribe with fishing rights for enrolled Members. As a result, a major focus of Nooksack Tribal programs today is land and resources with a special emphasis on fishing. Fishing in the Nooksack River and salt water areas is an important source of income and food for many families, as well as being a source of cultural pride and identity. The Tribal fisheries program regulates fishing and works to enhance fish runs and protect the environment, which the fish depend on. The Tribe works closely with local, State, and Federal agencies to review proposed developments, timber harvests and other environmental disturbances, and evaluate their impact on water quality, fisheries, and cultural sites.
1800–1860 EARLY SETTLEMENT
By the mid-1820s, Euro-Americans were moving through the Nooksack Indian Tribe’s territory on trails established by Native American circulation within the area. This movement of people linked Bellingham Bay and areas south with the Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading post, Fort Langley (est. 1827), along the Fraser River and inland areas of British Columbia.
Considerable change occurred in the area from the 1840s through 1860s. The United States and Canada established the international border in 1846. Shortly after, the United States established the Territory of Oregon in 1848, which included present day Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, and small western parts of Montana and Colorado, and the U.S. Congress enacted the Donation Land Claim Act (1850, expired 1855) to encourage American settlement of the territory. In 1853
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 14 the Territory of Washington was incorporated, which included present day Washington State, the northern part of Idaho, and a small western part of Montana, and was followed by the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855, which solidified the taking of lands from the tribes in the greater Salish Sea area within Washington Territory.
The Fraser River Gold Rush (1857–1858) and the Homestead Act in 1862 brought increased numbers of settlers to the area around present-day Lynden in the 1850s and 1860s. Fur trappers and gold rush bound miners moving along the Nooksack Trail gave way to settlers moving onto the lands. In 1868, European immigrants and Euro-Americans made the first ascent of Mount Baker (also known as Koma Kulshan or Kulshan). During this period, settlers used the Nooksack River and the Nooksack Trail as key routes for moving into the upper Nooksack Valley; there were no established roads from Bellingham Bay to the interior lands. Most of the area would not be surveyed by the Government Land Office until the 1870s. The Whatcom County (est. 1854) Board of Supervisors had the Nooksack Trail improved to serve as a pack trail in 1857.2 During the 1860s, Telegraph Trail, built to move supplies, equipment, and workers constructing the telegraph line, extended from Bellingham to the Nooksack River and eventually extended to Sumas and Canada. Telegraph Trail passed south of Lynden and crossed the Nooksack River approximately half a mile west of present-day Everson.3
The first settlers in and immediately around present-day Lynden arrived in the 1860s as the American Civil War (1861–1865) was underway. • James Alexander Patterson (born ca. 1813) and his wife, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Kanim of the Snoqualmie Tribe, arrived by the early 1860s. Patterson was originally from Tennessee. They built a cabin (south of the intersection of S 6th and Front streets, near the southwestern edge of Judson Street alley) and had two daughters, Dollie (born ca. 1862) and Nellie (born ca. 1865).4 Patterson listed his occupation on the 1870 census as farmer and, with business partner Reuben Bizer, operated a cattle ranch, which the two eventually developed into a dairy farm. After Patterson’s wife left him in the late 1860s, he tried to find a foster home for his daughters. This ultimately led to Patterson meeting Holden A. Judson (1826–1899) and Phoebe G. Judson (1831–1926) who agreed to raise the girls; in exchange, Patterson gave the couple his cabin and land in March of 1870. Edmund T. Coleman stopped at the cabin in 1868 in route to his first ascent of Mount Baker.5 • Daniel A. McClanahan (born ca. 1821) arrived in the 1860s and settled to the southeast of the intersection of what is today Bradley Road and Line Road, approximately two miles east of the Patterson cabin.6 Born in Kentucky ca. 1821, McClanahan married Nina McClanahan, born ca. 1847 in Washington Territory, and they had two children in Washington Territory: John (born ca. 1866) and Horace Greeley (born ca. 1869). Daniel
2. Todd (1982) pp. 1-3. 3. Heller and Ashenbrenner (1993) p. 3. 4. Heritage Quest Online (n.d.) Year: 1870; Census Place: Whatcom Precinct, Whatcom, Washington Territory; Roll: M593_1683; Page: 339A; Family History Library Film: 553182. 5. Koert (1976) p. 1. 6. McClanahan’s land patent was at T40N R03E S15 SW1/4. (Decima 2014) City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 15 Distribution within Lynden of properties attributed to the 1800s based on Whatcom County Assessor property data.
listed his profession as farmer. Heirs of McClanahan filed a land patent (no. 4792) on August 10, 1874.7 • Joseph Emerling arrived in the 1860s and settled approximately one mile east of the Patterson cabin (T40N R03E S21 NW1/4) near present day Front and S First Streets. Joseph was born in Bavaria (southern Germany) ca. 1830 and married Catherine Emerling, who was from Washington Territory, born ca. 1852. Joseph listed his profession as farmer.8
1870–1899 LOGGING COMMUNITY
Between the 1870s and 1880s, settlement of Lynden progressed as a logging-oriented community, though it lacked the population density of a town. As of 2018, there remain 19 residences within Lynden that are attributed to this period, including one commercial building (404 Front Street). Only one property is attributed to the 1870s, one to the 1880s, and the rest are attributed to the 1890s. Wood was the dominant building material during this period. The town had a post office, two stores, and a school house. The Government Land Office surveyed the quadrangle containing present-day Lynden (T40N R03E) in 1873 and progressed west and north with survey work during the rest of the 1870s. In 1874, the Pioneer Store, owned by Enoch Hawley, became the first dry goods and grocery store established within Lynden.9 The first school in the area began in the Judsons’ cabin in 1876.
7. Heritage Quest Online (n.d.) Year: 1870; Census Place: Whatcom Precinct, Whatcom, Washington Territory; Roll: M593_1683; Page: 326A; Family History Library Film: 553182 8. Ibid. 9. Heller and Ashenbrenner (1993) p. 4. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 16 1870s Transportation Connections
The telegraph line passed south of Lynden, south of the Nooksack River, with an operator in nearby Everson by 1873. In March of 1873 the Judson homestead was established as the post office with Holden Judson appointed as the postmaster and elected as county commissioner. Samuel Caldwell, the mail carrier, delivered and picked up mail from the post office at the Judson house once a week.10 The transportation link with Bellingham was rudimentary. By 1875 a corduroy road (whole or split logs laid East along Front Street. Courtesy: Pioner Museum. perpendicular to the road direction to improve an unpaved road) was under construction along the Telegraph Trail from Bellingham to the Nooksack River crossing near Everson. A small ferry operated at the Nooksack River crossing near Everson, with a capacity for two horses and riders. A trail from this crossing along the north bank of the Nooksack River led more than five miles back to Lynden.11 Removal of a massive log jam along the Nooksack River near Ferndale, followed by the clearing of smaller debris and jambs (1876 through the late 1870s), gradually improved river access.
Settlement during the 1870s increased and brought in several families who greatly influenced the growth and development of Lynden. These families established a cluster of farms which supported the commercial growth of Lynden.12 • Holden A. Judson (1826-1899) and Phoebe G. Judson (1831–1926) arrived in 1870–1871 to the Patterson cabin and land. Phoebe Judson traveled by canoe from Bellingham to Lynden and is the first known Euro-American woman to settle in Lynden. The Judsons filed a land patent (no. 5193) dated August 15, 1876, for portions of section 20 within T40N R03E. • The Enoch Hawley family arrived in 1872 from Iowa.13 The Hawleys filed land patents (no. 4836 and no. 1135) dated March 1, 1875, and November 20, 1880, respectively, for portions of sections 17 and 20 within T40N R03E and for portions of section 19 within T40N R03E. Hawley established the Pioneer Store in Lynden in 1874.14 • Edward O’Neil arrived in 1874 from Iowa. In 1875, O’Neil established the first store near Lynden, east of the city limits. O’Neil filed a land patent (no. 2142) dated May 5, 1888, for portions of sections 18 and 19 within T40N R03E along the west side of town. The
10. Koert (1976) p. 9. 11. Todd (1982) pp. 1-3. 12. The following records were searched based on T40 R03N and then filtered by sections 16, 17, 19, 20, and 21 encompassing the majority of present-day Lynden. US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (2018). 13. Koert (1976) p. 1. 14. Heller and Ashenbrenner (1993) p. 4. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 17 connection between O’Neil’s land patent on the west side of town and his store on the east side is unclear. • William T. and Nellie Coupe arrived in the early 1870s and settled on lands to the west of downtown that are now part of the present-day fairgrounds. Their son, Louis (born 1875), was the first Euro-American child born in Lynden. The Coupes filed a land patent (no. 1194) dated January 20, 1881, for portions within Sections 19 and 30 of T40N R03E. • Wesley N. Lawrence filed a land patent (no. 5040), dated October 1, 1875, and May 15, 1876, for portions of section 21 within T40N R03E. • Charles Vanwormer filed a land patent (no. 4844) dated March 1, 1875, for lot/tract 1 in Section 20 and portions of sections 17 and 20 within T40N R03E. • Godfrey Weller filed a land patent (no. 4860) dated March 1, 1875, for portions of section 17 within T40N R03E. • Ebenezer A. Smith filed a land patent (no. 5041) dated October 1, 1875, for lot/tract 2, 3, and 4 of section 19 within T40N R03E. • William Slade (Slado) arrived in 1877. Slade (born ca. 1820) was a blacksmith and originally from England. He married Elizabeth Slade (born ca. 1822 in Michigan), and they had a son, Freddy, born in Michigan ca. 1873.15 William and Elizabeth filed a land patent (no. 1808) dated December 4, 1884, for portions of sections 18 and 19 within T40N R03E. • Annie Goodell filed a land patent (no. 1029) dated October 1, 1879, for portions of sections 19 and 20 within T40N R03E. • Hans C. Berthusen, born in Norway, arrived in Lynden in 1883. Hans and Lida H. Berthusen settled on 100 acres.
1880s Dutch Immigration
Growth continued for the community during the 1880s, with improvements in public education and transportation and the first wave of Dutch immigration. Washington Territory attained statehood in 1889. Logging progressed, clearing land for agricultural use and leading to greater transportation needs for trade between Lynden and Bellingham. In 1884 George Judson, son of Phoebe and Holden, filed the town plat for Lynden and the first saw mill was established in Lynden. The community’s first doctor, Dr. Walter Wilbur, opened his practice in 1887 and F. S. Wright established City Drug Store in 1888. That 1304 W Grover Street, built ca. 1888 same year the town’s newspaper, the Pioneer Press, began; it would eventually become the Lynden Tribune.
15. Heritage Quest Online (n.d.) 1880 census data. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 18 The community built the first school building (log construction) in 1884 near Fishtrap Creek and W. Main Street. The community hired Mrs. John Bussard as the teacher. During the 1880s, many of the small communities in the area built their own schools to better serve the immediate surrounding population since overland travel to centralized schools was too difficult.16 The city’s first literary society was also formed in March of 1884. The Judsons donated land to establish a Normal School (a school for educating teachers) in 1886. E. J. Robinson built the school, which closed in 1892 and moved to Bellingham.17 In 1889 the newly constructed Judson Opera House opened and the Lynden Cemetery was officially established, though the first burial occurred earlier, in 1881.18 1888 map showing communities around Lynden and the extend Access to goods from the larger market of early roads up from Mount Vernon to Bellingham (then What- of Bellingham improved significantly in the com). Courtesy: Washington State library. 1880s, particularly with the establishment of regular steamer service along the Nooksack river to Hawley’s Landing (built 1888–1889) at Hannegan Road to connect the community with Bellingham. The arrival of the Willie on June 12, 1881, marked the first steamer to run the Nooksack River to Lynden after the 1870s work to clear multiple log jams.
In 1884 the first leg of the Guide Meridian Road (present-day Guide Meridian Road, also known as SR 539, follows the approximate route) opened, providing a better route for wagons hauling freight and a more direct route to Bellingham than the Telegraph Trail. Thomas Hardy of Lynden soon opened a drayage business moving freight between Lynden and Bellingham. By 1886 a corduroy road, looping around existing trees, replaced the former trail from the ferry crossing at the Nooksack River to Lynden.19
Rail service to the broader area around Lynden was under way by 1884 with the Bellingham Bay and British Columbia Railroad laying track to the north along the east side of the prairie at the base of the foothills (generally along former Telegraph Road and the present-day route of
16. Koert (1976) p. 154. 17. Ibid, p. 14. 18. Decima (2014) 19. Heller and Ashenbrenner (1993) p. 4. By 1890 the 5-mile portion of the Guide Meridian Road from McLeod Road just outside of Bellingham north to East Laurel Road was graded and planked. Even though this did not extend all of the way to Lynden, it helped in overall travel time reduction between Lynden and Bellingham. This road was also the first in Whatcom County to be widened to 30-feet and graded and graveled, which also helped to improve the transportation link. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 19 SR 9) up to Sumas to connect with the Canadian Pacific Railroad line. By 1890 the line reached Nooksack (approximately six miles southeast of Lynden) and a depot was built in nearby Everson to support twice daily service. Rail passengers bound for Lynden arrived in Everson and then traveled by wagon to Lynden along the new corduroy road.
The first significant wave of Dutch settlement in Lynden and the surrounding area occurred in the 1880s. In part due to issues regarding the roles of church and state in education, former members of the Dutch Reformed Church broke away to establish the Christian Reformed Church in 1869 in the Netherlands. Ultimately this did not fully resolve the differences and many Christian Reformed Church members left the Netherlands, migrating to the United States with some settling in and around Lynden during the 1880s. Lynden and the surrounding area benefited from the agricultural knowledge these immigrants brought to the area.
Settlement during the 1880s continued and children from the earlier families (such as the Judsons) established their own farms. The following families added to the cluster of farms immediately around and supporting the commercial growth of Lynden.20 (Note: the following are all in Township 40, Range 03E.) • James Seclamatan filed a land patent (no. 1080) dated June 30, 1880, for portions of sections 20 and 21. • Annie A. Smith filed a land patent (no. 7557) dated June 20, 1884, for portions of sections 20, 21, and 29. • Ross Duncan filed a land patent (no. 9021) dated March 12, 1888, for portions of section 19. • John K. Robinson filed a land patent (no. 13365) dated November 23, 1891, for portions of section 19. • Charles L. Judson filed a land patent (no. 1806) dated December 4, 1884, for portions of sections 20 and 29. • George H. Judson filed a land patent (no. 8837) dated March 14, 1887, for portions of section 6. Son of Holden and Phoebe Judson. • Robert E. Hawley filed a land patent (no. 4168) dated July 18, 1895, for portions of sections 21 and 22. The following families settled in areas north and east of the core area of Lynden but added to the cluster of farms supporting the commercial growth of Lynden.21 • James O’Neil filed a land patent (no. 1137) dated November 20, 1880, for portions of sections 17 and 18. • Joseph Spekahum filed a land patent (no. 1070) dated June 30, 1880, for portions of section 15. • George Hoch Sah Button filed a land patent (no. 1071) dated June 30, 1880, for portions of section 15.
20. The following records were searched based on T40 R03N and then filtered by sections 16, 17, 19, 20, and 21 encompassing the majority of present-day Lynden. US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (2018) 21. The following records were searched based on T40 R03N and then filtered by sections 16, 17, 19, 20, and 21 encompassing the majority of present-day Lynden. US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (2018) City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 20 • Job Gelloch Kanum filed a land patent (no. 1072) dated June 30, 1880, for portions of section 15. • Charles Miller filed a land patent (no. 1143) dated November 20, 1880, for portions of section 17. • August N. Sjogren filed a land patent (no. 1019) dated July 20, 1881, for portions of sections 17 and 18. • Neils and Cherstina Person filed a land patent (no. 1809) dated December 4, 1884, for portions of sections 17 and 18. • William J. Mitchell’s heirs filed a land patent (no. 3342) dated January 30, 1891, for portions of section 21.
1890s Incorporation 1897 postal service route map. Yellow lines show 2x per week deliver- ies, thin black lines show 6x per week deliveries. Courtesy: Washing- Population, transportation, industrial, and ton State Library. commercial growth for the community continued during the 1890s, despite the Panic of 1893 (1893–1897) and its related population decline. The decade started out strong with Lynden incorporating as a fourth-class town (cities are classified according to their population at the time of incorporation) in March of 1891 with a mayor-council form of government. The town elected Holden Judson as mayor and the population reached 750. The population dropped following the Panic of 1893, and, despite the national recession ending in 1897, only went up to 365 by 1900. Ed Edson served as mayor of Lynden from 1896 to 1898 during the latter part of the recession and the recovery.
Commercial and industrial growth in the 1880s included a robust level of activity within the town center along Front Street, generally between Fourth and Sixth streets. This commercial core featured a bank, an opera house, a barber shop, butcher shop, two restaurants, a books and stationary shop, the Lynden Department Store, a drug store22, grocery store, hand printing shop, and a boarding house. The Kildall Block anchored the east end of Front Street and the Judsons’ Opera House (at Fifth and Front streets) anchored the west end. The opera house had a post office on the ground floor. The Methodist Church stood at the southeast corner of Fifth and Grover streets. Residential dwellings were interspersed with commercial buildings along Front Street as well as spread out to the north and northeast of the town center. A vegetable garden extended along the south side of Judson Alley between Fifth and Sixth streets.23
22. Established as the City Drug Store in 1888 by F. S. Wright, and purchased by Ed Edson in 1891. 23. EDR (2018). City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 21 The following list identifies industries active in Lynden in 1891, according to Sanborn Fire Insurance maps. Scales on Front Street allowed freight and goods to be weighed upon arrival to downtown merchants.24 • Van Asselts Planing Mill stood along the Nooksack River and included a recently built two- story wood frame building containing a band saw and equipment for turning and planing of lumber to produce finished materials.25 • Tobiason and McKee Saw Mill operated a large lumber yard adjacent Van Asselts Planing Mill. • Smith and Smith Shingle mill stood three-tenths of a mile north of the Kildall Block (at the northwest corner of Third and Front streets). • Breckenridge and Son’s two-story grist mill stood along Sixth Street. • A blacksmith and wagon repair shop stood midblock along the east side of Fourth Street, between Front and Grover streets. • G. Abbot’s Livery stood at Fifth and Front streets on the south side of Front. • H. A. Judson’s Hop Kiln and associated drying barn stood off the south side of present- day Judsons Alley between Fourth and Fifth streets, with a hop field extending to the east.26 • Mill and Light Company established ca. 1891–1900 by Waples and Edson to provide electricity to the town. Dutch migration and settlement in and around Lynden continued through the 1890s. D. J. Zylstra (1859–1943) arrived in 1898 with his family and lived along Front Street. He went on to become one of the founders of the Christian Reformed Church in 1900 and the Lynden Christian School in 1910; he is credited as one of the key figures in helping new Dutch immigrants settle and assimilate in the area.
107 S First Street, built ca. 1890.
24. EDR (2018). 25. A furniture shop operated along Front Street, however, it is not currently known if goods made at the mill were sold at the shop. 26. The kiln was removed by 1903 and the drying barn converted to hay storage. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 22 Distribution within Lynden of properties attributed to 1900 to 1909 based on Whatcom County Assessor property data.
1900–1909 LOGGING TO AGRICULTURE
This decade marked a transition from logging to an agriculture focus for the community that solidified with rail connections and a population growth rate of 215 percent. Lynden was the fastest growing city in Whatcom County during this decade. The town’s population grew at nearly double the overall county and state growth rates during this period and, statewide, was one of the top nine fastest growing cities in this decade.27 The increased population supported a growing commercial core within the city.
1908 Railroad Commission map showing the Bellingham Bay & British Columbia Railroad line between Bellingham and Sumas with the branch line to Lynden. The red line is the Northern Pacific Railway and the green line the Great Northern Railway. White dots along the lines are stops. Courtesy: Washington State Library.
27. Washington State Office of Financial Management (n.d.). City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 23 Table 2. Population Data 1890 to 1910 CITY COUNTY POP. 1890– POP. POP. POP. GROWTH 1891 1900 1903 1910 RATE 1900–1910 Wenatchee Chelan No data 451 No data 4,050 798% Prosser Benton No data 229 No data 1,298 467% Centralia Lewis 2,026 1,600 No data 7,311 357% Yakima Yakima 1,535 3,154 No data 14,082 346% South Bend Pacific No data 711 No data 3,023 325% Aberdeen Grays Harbor 1,638 3,747 No data 13,660 265% Everett Snohomish No data 7,838 No data 24,814 217% Lynden Whatcom 750 365 900 1,148 215% Hoquiam Grays Harbor 1,302 2,608 No data 8,171 213%
Table showing the top nine fastest growing cities in Washington State, 1900–1910. Table data courtesy of the Decennial Census Counts of Population for Cities, Washington State Office of Financial Management, Forecasting Division, with the 1891 and 1903. Lynden population data added from Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps and growth rate calculated by Northwest Vernacular.
As of 2018, there are 84 properties within the city attributed to this period of construction, grouped within the core residential area immediately north of the downtown business district, and along Main Street and East Grover Street. At least eight of the downtown commercial buildings are attributed to this period. A fire in 1904 swept through downtown burning at least seven buildings, including the Williams Hotel, saloon, fraternal hall, an office building, a residence, a tailor shop and the warehouse of the Kildall Mercantile. New construction brought an increase in concrete and concrete block commercial buildings, such as 519 Front Street (built 1907), and 110 5th Street (built 1904-1907).28
Transportation changed dramatically when 1912 road map showing roads open to automobile travel (solid the Bellingham Bay and British Columbia red lines) and roads open to horse drawn wagon only (dashed Railroad extended a line to Lynden ca. 1904 red lines). By 1912 most of the roads around Lynden had been improved to a level drivable by automobiles. Courtesy: Washing- (a little over a decade after completion of the ton State Library. main line north to Sumas that ran just six miles east of Lynden).29 The branch line entered
28. Nelson (1995) p. 33. 29. The August 1903 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map does not show the rail line or the depot, but both show up in the October 1907 map. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 24 City hall. Courtesy: Pioner Museum.
Lynden along Pine Street, continuing to just past Depot Road (then Olive Street) with a Fire station and city hall. Courtesy: Pioneer Museum. freight and passenger depot and associated scales at the southeast corner of Pine and Olive streets. The railroad provided two trips per day to Bellingham. A shingle storage building stood across the tracks from the depot, a feed mill to the north of the depot, and a large turn-around and pull-through area for freight wagons extended south of the depot.
By 1910 the U.S. Census recorded regional farm production for shipment to markets including dairy products, berries, vegetables (beans, carrots, beets), grains (barley and oats), and hops. The arrival of the railroad also contributed to the decline of steamer travel along the Nooksack River, with the last sailing between Lynden and Bellingham occurring ca. 1909.
Industrial and commercial growth expanded during this decade. By 1903 the Lynden Mill Company operated a steam kiln along Fishtrap Creek just a quarter mile north of the Kildall Block. The commercial core of downtown grew one block further east, to Third Street, with most of the commercial buildings along the south side of Front Street. The Lynden Hotel operated along Front Street with a kitchen and dining room servicing guests. A warehouse at the northeast corner of Fifth and Front streets expanded a former drug store. The town retained most of the Bicycle shop along Front Street. Courtesy: Pioneer Museum. businesses that had been operating since the 1890s and added another barber, a bicycle shop, a cabinet shop, a creamery (Lynden Creamery Co. at Eighth and Front streets), and a furniture shop. By 1907 the city featured two liveries, the Lynden Livery and City Livery Stable.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 25 As the population grew, ease of communication became increasingly important. In 1905 the Farmer’s Mutual Telephone Company held their first meeting, and the company’s first office was in Lynden on Front Street, across from the post office, in the creamery building (601-609 Front Street). They were the first cooperative in Whatcom County and one of the few successful telephone cooperatives in the country. The company expanded telephone service and by 1931 operated exchanges in Lynden,
Laurel, Maple Falls, Sumas, Nooksack, Blaine, West along Front Street. Courtesy: Pioner Museum. Custer, Deming, and Ferndale, with toll lines connecting the exchanges.30
Growth continued in the city’s commercial sector during the latter half of the decade. Ed Austin established Lynden Transfer, a freight hauling company, in 1906. It expanded over the next century, utilizing the city’s proximity to Canada, Interstate 5, and Bellingham to become an international transport corporation.31 The downtown core experienced continued infill, including the construction of the Hotel Miller at Fourth and Front streets and the Lynden Steam Laundry north of the depot. By 1908, the Lynden Creamery Company was the largest creamery in the state.32
Social, civic, and education facilities and organizations expanded rapidly during this decade. By 1900 the city had a marshal and town hall; which remains today at the southeast corner of Eighth and Grover streets. The town built a two-story grade school in 1903 at the northwest corner of Seventh and Edson streets and completed a new high school in 1906 (still in use as of 2017-2018 school year as Lynden Middle School) at the northwest corner of Fifth and Main streets. In 1908, the newly renamed Lynden Tribune debuted, establishing itself as an important Post card of the 1906 Lynden Highschool. Courtesy: History Link. feature of the community for the next century and remaining in operation as of 2018.33 By
30. Phones converted to dial from the switchboard exchanges between 1949 and 1956. Long distance direct dialing came in 1959 and the co-operative remained in operation up through 1976. (Koert 1976) p. 151. 31. Lynden (n.d.) 32. Koert (1976) p. 75. 33. The Lewis family purchased the paper in 1914 and since then have had a family member as either editor, publisher or both. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 26 1909, the Mill and Light Company constructed a line supplying electricity along Front Street and installed street lights at road intersections along Front Street.34 In 1910, the residents organized the first bucket brigade fire department (which disbanded the following year and reorganized in 1912).
The number of churches in the community continued to grow and by 1907 included the Baptist Church, Christian Reformed Church, Methodist Episcopal Church, Mission Church, and the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The Christian Reformed Church, founded in 1900 with sermons held in Dutch, was started by the local Dutch immigrants for whom religious education was important. The high number of Dutch immigrants in the area led to the immigrants creating a set of religious schools separate from the public-school system. The Lynden Christian School, established in 1910, provided first through eighth grade education until 1930 and then expanded to include kindergarten through twelth grade.35
Social activities within Lynden during this period included the former International Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) lodge at the northwest corner of Fifth and Grover streets and Woodman Hall (converted in the 1910s to a church).36 Charles Cline re-established the Clam Digger Club in 1909, but limited participation to those living in Washington Territory prior to Washington’s admittance to the Union as a state.37 The present-day Clamdiggers Association continues to meet at the Lynden Pioneer Museum and is open to all.38 Downtown merchants held the first street fair in 1909 as a single day event; it was Clam Diggers Club in front of the former IOOF Hall. Courtesy: so successful, it was extended to two days Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Wwestern Libraries Digital the following year and became known as the Collections. Nooksack Valley Produce Fair. It continued to grow over the next century, moving to the present-day fairgrounds west of downtown, and renamed the Whatcom County Fair in 1911 and the Northwest Washington Fair Association in 1922. As of 2017, the Northwest Washington Fair had more than 200,000 visitors. 39
34. Hamilton (1979) 35. Attendance reached 200 students by 1921 and by 1930 junior high classes were taught and a new building was added in 1947 to support continued growth followed by the current high school building in 1965. (Lynden Christian Schools 2013) “Our History” page. 36. By 1913 the city had 11 secret and insurance societies. (R. L. Polk and Company 1913) 37. Genealogy Trails (2018) 38. Lynden Tribune (2017) 39. The Northwest Washington Fair and Event Center (2018) City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 27 Distribution within Lynden of properties attributed to 1909 to 1919 based on Whatcom County Assessor property data. 1910–1919 COMMERCIAL GROWTH
Lynden’s downtown commercial core, the industrial strip along the railroad, and the residential neighborhoods continued to grow throughout this decade, which spanned the United States’ involvement in World War I (1914–1918). Agricultural production in the surrounding Nooksack Valley continued to expand and serve as a key economic engine for the community. From 1910 to 1920, Lynden’s population only grew by eight percent, but with 1,244 people by 1920, it remained one of the larger cities in Whatcom County, with the densest surrounding settlement north of the Skagit River40; another 2,145 people were living in the surrounding greater township.41
As of 2018, there are 95 properties within the city attributed to this decade of construction, which followed the same pattern as the previous decade within the downtown core, and added at least seven new buildings to the commercial core. Concrete and concrete block remained the dominant commercial building material. Construction also began to extend to the southwest, south of Front Street down to C Street and between South British Columbia Avenue and Stremler Drive with wood frame, single family residential development.
Civic improvements during this decade increased, marking the start of a trend that would continue through the 1930s. In 1911 the City installed the first wave of concrete sidewalks to improve pedestrian access within the city, especially during the winter and spring. The bucket brigade fire department was reorganized in 1912 with a new fire cart. By 1914 the City also paved the first segment of Front Street from First Street west to British Columbia Avenue. From First to Third streets at the east end of downtown, Front Street was paved to only 26 feet wide, while
40. R. L. Polk and Company (1913) 41. Washington State Office of Financial Management (n.d.). Of note, the 1919 Polk City Directory indicated a population of 1,800 for Lynden; however, the source of their number is not known. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 28 the rest of Front Street was paved to 50 feet wide, with a center stripe painted from Sixth Street west to British Columbia Avenue.
Education facilities continued to expand, partly in response to a growth in the student body population and the start of a broader consolidation and closure of outlying schools, which was gradually enabled by better roads and bus service. Fairview School on Birch Bay Road (est. 1891) was one of the first to close in a process that would gain considerable momentum in the 1930s. Lynden expanded the high school to include a gymnasium and 700 Judson Street, built ca. 1913. auditorium, in 1914.
Transportation improvements exercised a vital role in the transport of agricultural products and the movement of people and other goods. Within Whatcom County, including the area around Lynden, farmers supported paved road construction through taxes. By 1919, contracts were in place to pave over 100 miles of county roads between towns, which helped to link Lynden with the county’s other communities.42 Rail service, operated by Burlington and Northern by 1913, increased to four trains a day during the early 1910s but returned to just two by 1919. Twice-daily 1300 Front Street, built ca. 1907. bus service also ran between Lynden and Bellingham and expanded by 1915 to include service to Sumas, Everson, and Nooksack. By 1915, the growth in transportation also supported tourism from both surrounding areas and British Columbia, largely attributed to people exploring areas by automobile. Gas and service stations, such as the Lynden Implement Company, developed along the roads and in communities to support the growing use of automobiles.43 The Lynden Implement Company sold farm implements, wagons, and buggies, but also expanded to serve as an agency for Ford, Case, and Hupmobile automobiles and to repair gasoline engines.44
Industry in Lynden continued to grow during this decade. The Lynden branch of the railroad moved a volume of freight that outpaced all the other towns along the line. By the early 1910s, Lynden became the center of the dairy industry in Whatcom County, and in 1919 it was also
42. R. L. Polk and Company (1913). 43. R. L. Polk and Company (1915). 44. R. L. Polk and Company (1913) p. 492. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 29 400 Front Street, built ca. 1913. 1101 Front Street, built ca. 1918. the center of the poultry industry in Whatcom County.45 Between 1907 and 1925, the number of poultry houses associated with single-family residences in Lynden increased dramatically.46 The Lynden Cooperative Creamery consistently had a high volume of production during the 1910s, and by 1919 it continued to be the largest single creamery in the state.47 Other industries operating in Lynden included a sash and door works, wood working factory, Imperial Fir Lumber Company (known as Klocke’s Mill), Northwestern Lumber and Shingle Company, and Bayes Canning Company (established by E. W. Bayes and eventually sold to the Washington Cooperative Farmers Association).48
45. R. L. Polk and Company (1913). 46. The 1907 Sanborn map had no poultry houses identified, and the 1925 Sanborn map had nearly one large poultry house every block. 47. The creamery was bought out in 1920. R. L. Polk and Company (1919). 48. Koert (1976) p. 110. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 30 Distribution within Lynden of properties attributed to 1920 to 1929 based on Whatcom County Assessor property data.
1920–1929 CITY GROWTH
The 1920s marked a period of growth for Lynden exceeding the previous decade before culminating in the start of the Great Depression in 1929. Lynden experienced a 25 percent population growth rate during this decade with the population climbing from 1,244 in 1920 to 1,564 by 1930.49
As of 2018, there are 156 properties within the city attributed to this period of development. Construction followed the same pattern as 1900–1919 within the downtown core. Within Lynden’s downtown commercial core, 13 buildings are attributed to this period. Substantial single-family residential growth continued to increase density immediately north and west of downtown, as well as begin to grow along North Eighth Street, Depot Road, and Benson Road, north of Main Street.
Civic improvements during this decade worked to keep pace with the city’s growth. 101 Front Street, built ca. 1921. By 1921 the city had its first motion picture theater, the Liberty, along the south side of Front Street at Third Street. The town hall, jail, fire station, and public library all stood in a row
49. Washington State Office of Financial Management (n.d.) City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 31 along the south side of Front Street at Fourth Street. Puget Sound Power and Light had an electric sub-station in town, just east of First and Front streets. In 1924 the City constructed a pumping station along the bank of the Nooksack River. A single-stage electric pump moved water from the river (275 gallons per minute pumping capacity) to the filtration plant, from there the water traveled by 8-inch pipe to a 250,000-gallon reinforced concrete reservoir at the filtration plant located along Judson Alley at Sixth Street. 719 Front Street, built ca. 1925. The reservoir then fed the city’s wood stave water mains (approximately five miles total of line), consisting of an 8-inch main running up Sixth Street and jogging over to Fifth Street with smaller 6- and 4-inch branch lines extending east and west along the streets with service lines for individual businesses and residences connecting to these branch lines. Excess water was run into a 100,000-gallon steel and 50,000-gallon wood tank behind the high school. The City installed three triple and 28 double hydrants and maintained 54 pounds of pressure within the downtown commercial core.50
By 1925, the fire department operated a single engine and had a fire bell mounted on the hose tower to serve as the fire alarm.51 By 1925, a manual training building had been added to the high school grounds and in 1926 the City built a 12-room grade school. The city also maintained an active tennis club by 1928. In 1929 the City constructed a new city hall at the southeast corner of Fourth and Front streets. The fire department, although still volunteer, had a chief, 15 members, and was integrated into the new city hall building. The public library occupied part of the second floor of the new city hall building.
Transportation, agriculture, and industry remained closely linked in their growth within Lynden and the surrounding area. The regional rise in cooperative farming brought a diversified agricultural base to the area and a wide range of products for shipping. By 1921, the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad owned and operated the branch line to Lynden with two trains daily. The city continued to exceed all other towns along the line in the volume of freight shipped.52 Freight included grain, lumber, eggs, canned fruit, hay, flower bulbs, and dairy products. The area around Lynden had two large bulb farms by 1928. One of the county’s three fruit canneries was based in Lynden. The poultry business within Whatcom County exceeded $3 million in revenue in 1925. Lynden had two poultry hatcheries; the largest of these was a branch of the Seattle-based Washington Co-operative Egg and Poultry Association.53 Organized in 1917, the cooperative grew to eight receiving stations and three feed depots by 1926, with the Lynden branch being
50. Water system summary based on data from the 1925 Sanborn, sheet 1. (EDR 2018) 51. Fire system summary based on data from the 1925 Sanborn, sheet 1. (EDR 2018) 52. R. L. Polk and Company (1921-1922). 53. R. L. Polk and Company (1926). City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 32 the largest station.54 The Whatcom County Dairymen’s Association Dairy Products Plant and creamery consistently held the top production ranking for the state. At the Lynden plant they had a creamery, buttermilk powdering plant, cheese factory and curing rooms, and a milk powdering plant.55 The 1920s also saw the growth of the sugar beet industry, largely related to the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company.56
A system of paved roads connected Lynden with surrounding towns, farms, and Bellingham. By 1921, hourly bus service ran Judson Street Alley, built ca. 1928. between Lynden and Bellingham. Standard Oil and Union Oil companies both operated stations in Lynden by 1925. The Hotel Miller also utilized their basement as an automobile garage with capacity for 25 cars. There were two concentration areas for automobile repairs: One was at the intersection of Third and Front streets, and featured a gas and oil station, car supply business, automobile storage, and auto sales; the other at Sixth and Front streets consisted of an automobile repair and garage businesses.57
The industrial area around the depot, north of Main Street and along either side of Depot Road, was firmly established as a bustling freight center, with a feed mill, the Washington Cooperative Poultry Association buildings, Columbia Lumber Company’s yards, Union Oil Company’s distribution yard, the creamery, and warehouses for automobiles, hay, poultry, and grain. Goods arriving by train were also loaded onto wagons for distribution within Lynden and the surrounding area. By 1925, several spur lines were added to increase rail connectivity. These included a spur over to the north side of the Whatcom County 1105 Front Street, built ca. 1920. Dairymen’s Association’s Dairy Products Plant to a new train shed for loading cars. The line also extended to service the Columbia
54. Koert (1976) p. 80. 55. EDR (2018). 56. In the Skagit Valley and Yakima Valleys, especially around Wapato, the growth of the sugar beet industry also brought a migration of farm workers from Wyoming and the Midwest, many of which included US citizens of Mexican heritage. 57. There were also multiple automobile and buggy sheds along Grover Street between 11th and 10th streets. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 33 Lumber Company’s lumber yard with staged lumber piles for shipping. A spur extended west across Depot Road to service the Washington Cooperative Egg and Poultry Association’s shipping needs. Their plant had a poultry warehouse and an egg candling and crating facility to check and prepare eggs for shipping. The main branch line continued west to service the feed mill, which had a wide loading platform and a grain elevator for loading and unloading rail cars. Two additional spurs extended from the branch line east of Division Street to service the Imperial Fir Lumber Company Saw and Planing Mill. This steam powered 511 Front Street, built ca. 1929. mill had a capacity of 50,000 board feet every eight hours. The site featured a saw mill, two drying kilns, and a planing mill. A large shed held staged dressed lumber ready for shipping by rail. A second loading platform was added by 1925 off the east end of the depot along with a new spur line doubling the loading and unloading capacity.
Commerce grew as the area’s industry, agricultural production, and population expanded. By the 1920s the city’s downtown business district was well established with rows of commercial buildings along both sides of Front Street. In 1920 a second bank opened, the People State Bank. Formed by Lynden residents, this was one of only three independent banks in Whatcom County, with the other two based in Bellingham.
417 Front Street, built ca. 1928.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 34 Distribution within Lynden of properties attributed to 1930 to 1939 based on Whatcom County Assessor property data.
1930–1939 DEPRESSION ERA GROWTH
During the 1930s, growth remained strong in Lynden, relative to the surrounding areas as the nation struggled through the Great Depression and the lead up to World War II. Building permits climbed from $60,000 in 1935 to $161,605 in 1936. By 1937, bank deposits exceeded $1 million.58 The city also became a third-class city in 1935, based on its population growth. This period, like 1910 to 1919, saw just over eight percent population growth. Lynden’s population went from 1,564 in 1930 to 1,696 by 1940.59 The Lynden Tribune reported few foreclosures in town during the Great Depression.60
As of 2018, there are 108 properties within the city attributed to this period of construction. Construction followed the same pattern as 1900–1919 within the downtown core. Within Lynden’s downtown commercial core, five buildings are attributed to this period. Single family residential growth continued to increase density immediately north and west of downtown, as well as continue to push out and grow along North Eighth Street, Depot Road, and Benson Road, north of Main Street.
Civic improvements continued during this period, in part as depression-era work relief projects funded through the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA, 1933–1935) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA, 1935–1943). In 1931, the City constructed a new pumping station and added 400 water meters to reduce water waste in town. In 1933, three miles of the original wood water main was replaced with new 6-inch wood water main. During the 1930s, the first
58. Kolva and Franks (1989) p. 4. 59. Washington State Office of Financial Management (n.d.) 60. Kolva and Franks (1989) p. 3. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 35 cast iron pipe was installed in the business district. From 1936 through 1938, WPA funding supported the construction of a new sewage disposal plant and installation of a sewer system within the city to collect waste from individual houses and businesses allowing the phasing out of outhouses within the city. By 1938, the City installed three miles of new concrete sidewalks.61
Educational facilities expanded during this decade with construction of a new gymnasium for the high school in 1939, supported by a voter approved bond during 1201 Front Street, built ca. 1934. the Great Depression and WPA funding. The consolidation of surrounding schools that had started in the 1910s, expanded considerably during this decade. Outlying schools began closing at a faster pace during this decade, including North Prairie School (est. 1886, closed 1938) and Riverside School (est. 1904, closed 1936); a school on Stickney Island Road also closed in 1938.
Agriculture continued to be a key industry for the city and surrounding area as the upper Nooksack Valley below Deming was mostly logged by the late 1930s.62 By 1942, all the buildings at the former Imperial Fir Lumber Company Saw and Planing Mill had been removed as logging declined as the supply of timber in the upper Nooksack Valley diminished by the late 1920s. A third bulb farm operated near Lynden by 1932.63 The Northwest Washington Fair Association celebrated the area’s agricultural heritage in 1930 with a butter and egg parade of
50 trucks put on by the Whatcom County 1113 Front Street, built ca. 1935. Dairymen’s Association and Washington Co- Operative Egg and Poultry Association. The fair was not held from 1931 to 1933 and then resumed in 1934 with improvements to the fairgrounds made in the late 1930s.
61. Kolva and Franks (1989) p. 5. 62. Koert (1976) p. 3. 63. R. L. Polk and Company (1932). City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 36 Distribution within Lynden of properties attributed to 1940 to 1949 based on Whatcom County Assessor property data.
1940–1949 DENSITY AND INDUSTRIAL GROWTH
During the 1940s, Lynden’s solid growth in the last decade propelled it forward as the United States entered World War II and agricultural production ramped up to support the war. The city’s population grew by over 27 percent from 1940 to 1950. Lynden’s population went from 1,696 in 1940 to 2,161 by 1950.64
As of 2018, there are 173 properties within the city attributed to this period of construction. Construction filled in and densified the commercial core. Residential construction brought significant infill in the southwest neighborhood south of Front Street. Baker View addition was platted in 1944, north of Grover Street and east of Lynn Street. Mountain View addition was platted in 1946, extending residential plats south of Front Street and west of 17th Street.
Civic improvements continued as the new post office was dedicated in 1940. Hans C. 1005 Front Street, built ca. 1941. Berthusen passed away in 1944; he and his wife Lida H. left their estate to the City for use as a park, which became Hans C. and
64. Washington State Office of Financial Management (n.d.) City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 37 Lida H. Berthusen Memorial Park and retains their homestead’s barn. In 1946, the City built a new 200,000-gallon steel storage tank for the municipal water system, replacing the two previous tanks behind the high school. By 1942, the city had around six miles of water lines, nine triple and 42 double hydrants within the city. The fire department remained a volunteer force.65 The alley south of Front Street was renamed Judson Alley in 1948 in honor of Holden and Phoebe Judson.
The industrial area began changing during the late 1940s. A new warehouse replaced the railroad depot and a spur was added east 110 7th Street, built ca. 1948. of First Street to service new warehouses built just north of E Grover Street.
Educational facilities in the city saw increased enrollment as closures of outlying schools continued. Closures peaked between 1941 and 1944.
Dutch immigration increased again during the 1940s and into the 1950s from the Midwest and displacement from Europe during World War II. During the war, the fair ceased operations from 1942 through 1945, and then resumed in 1946 with the largest livestock 66 show in the fair’s history. 110 7th Street, overall view.
65. EDR (2018) 66. Nelson (1995) p. 159. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 38 Distribution within Lynden of properties attributed to 1950 to 1959 based on Whatcom County Assessor property data.
1950–1959 POST WORLD WAR II GROWTH
Lynden continued to grow during this decade, building on the post war resurgence following World War II, the Korean War (1950–1953), and the start of the Vietnam War (1955–1975). This period saw a population growth rate of just over 17 percent for Lynden with the city’s population going from 2,161 in 1950 to 2,542 by 1960.67
As of 2018, there are 200 properties within the city attributed to this period of construction. Construction brought some new commercial buildings in the business district; however, most of the new construction consisted of residential infill in the southwest neighborhood south of Front Street, east along Grover, and north of S Park Street between Depot Road and W Park Street.
The City constructed a new, larger water treatment plant in 1951, replacing the previous plant south of Judson Alley. The Whatcom County Dairymen’s Association’s Dairy Products Plant’s creamery remained one 504 Front Street, built ca. 1956. of the largest producers in the state. The city’s industries also include four berry and fruit processing plants and a flash-freeze plant. The fairgrounds also experienced a period of growing attendance and construction of several new
67. Washington State Office of Financial Management (n.d.) City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 39 buildings. Migrant worker populations working during the berry harvest—part of a broader pattern of migration from Texas to Yakima and seasonal circulation within Washington State—brought a growth in the area’s Latino population. By 1954, the city had a 25-bed hospital, 10 churches, a theater, a roller skating rink, two parks, three elementary schools, a high school, and a private Christian high school and grade school.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 40 Distribution within Lynden of properties attributed to 1960 to 1969 based on Whatcom County Assessor property data.
1960–1969 SUBDIVISION EXPANSIONS
The 1960s brought a slowdown in population growth for Lynden, dropping to just over 10 percent from 1960 to 1970. During this period. Lynden’s population went from 2,542 in 1960 to 2,808 by 1970.68
As of 2018, there are 188 properties within the city attributed to this period of construction, including at least one downtown commercial building. Most of the new construction consisted of residential infill following patterns of the 1950s, but also expanding north and west including out near State Route 539.
Civic improvements continued during this decade and included new street lights ca. 1960.69 In 1963, the City moved the water intake on the Nooksack River to the south shore near Hannegan Bridge and expanded the water treatment plant. The City also began replacing the wood water mains with 910 Front Street, built ca. 1962. cement and asbestos pipe.70 In 1962, the school district completed William A. Fisher
68. Washington State Office of Financial Management (n.d.) 69. The previous lantern type street lights were donated to the Fair. 70. Koert (1976) p. 138. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 41 School (elementary school) and in 1963 a new high school opened east of downtown Lynden. In 1966, the City modernized the sewage treatment plant. Between 1969 and 1970 the City built a new library and fire hall.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 42 Distribution within Lynden of properties attributed to 1970 to 1979 based on Whatcom County Assessor property data.
1970–1979 POPULATION GROWTH
The 1970s ushered in a dramatic growth in the city’s population. Lynden’s population grew by just over 43 percent between 1970 and 1980, from 2,808 in 1970 to 4,028 by 1980, and was reflective of a larger statewide pattern of smaller community growth outside of larger city areas.71
As of 2018, there are 372 properties within the city attributed to this period of construction. This period brought the first housing developments. These occurred along the north side of the city with the curvilinear roads, along Bonanza Drive (late 1970s), Kwanzan Drive (late 1970s), and Garden Drive (early to mid 1970s).
In 1971, the city became a non-charter code city. Agriculture and industry continued to be strong economic drivers for the city. In 1971, Lynden Transport, established in 1906, built a new office building in Lynden and the following year began making their own milk tank trailers. By 1974, the company had 10 tank trailers in service transporting milk from area dairies.72 In 1976, the City built a new industrial and domestic sewer plant to support the growing population. By 1976, the city was using an 1010 Front Street, built ca. 1971. average of 705,000 gallons a day from the Nooksack River.73
71. Washington State Office of Financial Management (n.d.) 72. Heller and Ashenbrenner (1993) p. 53. 73. Koert (1976) p. 1. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 43 Distribution within Lynden of properties attributed to 1980 to 1989 based on Whatcom County Assessor property data. 1980–1989 BUSINESS DISTRICT CHANGES
During the 1980s the city’s population growth remained high at just over 41-percent. Lynden’s population went from 4,028 in 1980 to 5,709 by 1990.74
As of 2018, there are 385 properties within the city attributed to this period, which brought several new industrial buildings, some infill in the commercial district, and some infill in the residential area immediately north of downtown. Very little development occurred in the southwest residential area. In contrast, the former farmlands north and northwest of downtown saw extensive new sub division development. A new high school was built during this period.
This decade brought several changes to the business district. Fires in 1980 burned the Aslum and Bode Furniture store and several buildings on the south side of Front Street next to the Pioneer Museum. Another fire in the late 1980s burned the Biehler Hardware Store building (resulting in removal of the upper story).75 The 1985 start of Holland Days, a two-day festival the first weekend of May embracing the city’s Dutch heritage, led to facade remodeling along Front Street and the addition of a windmill to mimic Dutch architectural features.
74 (Washington State Office of Financial Management n.d.) 75 (Nelson 1995) p. 36. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 44 Distribution within Lynden of properties attributed to 1990 to 1999 based on Whatcom County Assessor property data.
1990–2018 SUBDIVISION GROWTH
From 1990 to 2000, Lynden’s population grew by 58 percent, followed by a 32 percent population growth rate over the next decade, to the current estimated population of 14,092. Lynden’s population went from 5,709 in 1990, to 9,020 by 2000, and 11,951 by 2010.76
As of 2018, there are 1,069 properties built between 1990 to 2000 in the city. This 20-year period saw very little residential infill within the residential areas north and west of downtown; instead the growth focused on subdivisions north and northwest of the downtown core. The period from 2000 to 2016 added at least 1,486 additional properties, with most of the development occurring as residential sub divisions. Growth was shaped in part by the Nooksack River and its flood plain, pushing development out to the north and northwest away from the river bottom.
The city set a number of records during the 1990s, including the 1992 record attendance at the fair (243,181 visitors) and the most churches per capita in a town (nine reformed and seven non- reformed churches) in the US. In 2011 the record for the largest hayride in the US was also set.
76 (Washington State Office of Financial Management n.d.) City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 45 Distribution within Lynden of properties attributed to 2000 to 2018 based on Whatcom County Assessor property data.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 46 3. Survey Results
Overall the city retains clearly identifiable historic development patterns. Front Street, with the allée of historic residences and trees connecting to the commercial core, provides a strong sense of place and identity. The commercial core retains a high level of historic properties on either side of Front Street, providing an established presence. The commercial core is generally described as both sides of Front Street between 7th Street (west end), 3rd Street (east end), and Grover Street along the north. The 1980s effort to provide a Dutch influenced thematic overlay resulted in significant alterations. The residential neighborhoods extending to the north and southwest of downtown retain a high volume of historic residences. Window and siding changes appeared as the most frequent alterations. The industrial area northeast of the commercial core remains readily identifiable as such and continues in active industrial use and retains the railroad branch line. Development following World War II replaced many of the original buildings within this area. Agriculture buildings around the perimeter of the city continue to provide a visual connection with the city’s agricultural history.
Survey results generally followed expectations, though the widespread use of concrete (poured and block) in downtown commercial buildings (rather than brick or clay tile) was surprising. Most historic downtowns in Washington state retaining buildings from the 1900s through 1920s have some to multiple brick buildings. For Lynden to have predominately poured concrete and concrete block buildings is a notable difference. The quality of residential design exceeded expectations in terms of the high level of design and integrity of the houses surveyed.
DEVELOPMENT PERIODS
The areas surveyed contained properties from all but three of the city’s development periods. Both the commercial core and residential development along Front Street to the east and west of the commercial core were in-filled over multiple decades, like broader patterns within the city’s older residential areas around the commercial core. The property counts for extant properties city wide stems from Whatcom County Assessor property data provided by the City of Lynden and filtered based on estimated year built. Refer to “Map 6. Surveyed properties by decade built.” on page 73 for details.
Table 3. Properties Surveyed by Development Period TIME PERIODS EXTANT CITY WIDE SURVEYED IN 2018 1800s 19 properties 10 properties 1900 to 1909 84 properties 21 properties 1910 to 1919 95 properties 20 properties 1920 to 1929 156 properties 31 properties 1930 to 1939 108 properties 14 properties 1940 to 1949 173 properties 10 properties 1950 to 1959 200 properties 1 properties 1960 to 1969 188 properties 2 properties
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 47 TIME PERIODS EXTANT CITY WIDE SURVEYED IN 2018 1970 to 1979 372 properties 1 properties 1980 to 1989 385 properties None 1990 to 1999 1069 properties None 2000 to 2018 1486 properties None
PROPERTY USES
The survey covered a range of property uses based on the intent to cover the commercial core, adjacent single family residential properties along Front Street, and a sampling of agriculture- related buildings. The following lists the number of properties surveyed by property use, and identifies notable examples of each use. Refer to “Map 7. Surveyed properties by use.” on page 74 for details.
Table 4. Property Types Surveyed PROPERTIES IMAGE AGRICULTURAL (SURVEYED 5 PROPERTIES) • These included two silos and several barns that all relate to the city’s agricultural heritage and remain within the city limits.
COMMERCIAL (SURVEYED 58 PROPERTIES) • 321 Front Street, built ca. 1928 stands out as a notable reinforced concrete building along Front Street and a key visual feature of the commercial core.
EDUCATIONAL (SURVEYED 2 PROPERTIES) • 516 Main Street, the gymnasium, built 1939 as the Lynden High School Gymnasium, and constructed in part through funding from the Depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA) and a city bond stands out both for the community commitment during a period of nation-wide economic turmoil and, other than the rear addition, a largely intact example of Depression era architecture within the city.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 48 PROPERTIES IMAGE RELIGIOUS (SURVEYED 1 PROPERTY) • 1010 Front Street, built ca. 1971, this religious building displays a remarkable level of design and integrity and is a striking late-20th century architectural example within the city.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 49 PROPERTIES IMAGE RESIDENTIAL (SURVEYED 56 PROPERTIES, ALL SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES)
• 1005 Front Street, built ca. 1941, this house is notable Sampling of houses. as a highly intact Minimal Traditional-style house and as new construction occurring during the later part of the Great Depression. • 109 S 7th Street, built ca. 1924, this house is a notable Craftsman-style house with a high level of architectural detailing and integrity. • 1101 Front Street, built ca. 1918, this house is a notable Craftsman-style house with a high level of architectural 1005 Front Street detailing and integrity, with a prominent location along Front Street. • 1106 Front Street, built ca. 1911, this house is a notable Queen Anne-style house with a high level of integrity and a prominent location along Front Street. • 1113 Front Street, built ca. 1935, this house is a notable Mission Revival-style house with a high level of architectural detailing and integrity and a prominent location along Front Street. 1101 Front Street • 115 Front Street, built ca. 1920, this house is a notable Colonial Revival-style house with a high level of architectural detailing and integrity and a prominent location along Front Street. • 205 Front Street, built ca. 1937, this house is a notable Craftsman-style house with a high level of architectural detailing and integrity, with a prominent location along Front Street. 115 Front St • 700 Judson Street, built ca. 1913, this house a notable Craftsman-style house with a high level of architectural detailing and integrity. • 8539 Benson Road, built ca. 1928, this house is unique within the city for its stone cladding and high level of integrity. • 909 Front Street, built ca. 1904, this house is a notable Queen Anne-style house with a high level of architectural detailing and integrity and a prominent 700 Judson Street location along Front Street.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 50 ARCHITECTURAL STYLES
Architectural styles evident in the buildings surveyed convey a wide range of architectural influences and stylistic trends. Residential properties convey the widest range of architectural styles. Commercial buildings within the commercial core experienced the highest level of alterations amongst buildings surveyed and consequently exhibit the least stylistic diversity. Refer to “Map 9. Surveyed properties by architectural style.” on page 76 for details. Note that ‘No Style’ indicates the building was not designed per a specific style, but may exhibit influences from one or more styles or be vernacular in its development to support a specific function rather than a specific style.
Table 5. Architectural Styles of Properties Surveyed
STYLE SURVEYED IN 2018 Colonial Revival 3 Contemporary 2 Craftsman 19 Dutch Colonial Revival 1 Folk Victorian 1 Italian Renaissance Revival 1 Mansard 1 Minimal Traditional 2 Mission Revival 2 No Style 68 Prairie Style 1 PWA Moderne 1 Ranch 1 Queen Anne 6 Tudor Revival 3 Tudor Revival Cottage 2
NATIONAL REGISTER AND WASHINGTON HERITAGE REGISTER ELIGIBILITY
Northwest Vernacular staff evaluated surveyed properties for potential eligibility for listing to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Staff utilized Criterion C cited below. This criterion is based on architectural character and was assessed from the public right-of-way. Future research may yield information making a property eligible under other criteria. No individual property research was completed as part of this study that would have informed evaluation under other criteria.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 51 Of the properties surveyed, 12 appear to have sufficient integrity and distinctive architectural character to be considered for NRHP listing. Of the properties surveyed, no potential NRHP historic district based on Criterion C was identified. Refer to “Map 5. Eligibility recommendations for surveyed properties.” on page 72 for details.
National Park Service’s, National Register Bulletin No. 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation establishes the following criteria for evaluation and criteria considerations.
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION
The quality of significance in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture is present in districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association, and:
A. That are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or
B. That are associated with the lives of significant persons in our past; or
C. That embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or
D. That have yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in history or prehistory.
CRITERIA CONSIDERATIONS
Ordinarily cemeteries, birthplaces, graves of historical figures, properties owned by religious institutions or used for religious purposes, structures that have been moved from their original locations, reconstructed historic buildings, properties primarily commemorative in nature, and properties that have achieved significance within the past 50 years shall not be considered eligible for the National Register. However, such properties will qualify if they are integral parts of districts that do meet the criteria or if they fall within the following categories:
a. A religious property deriving primary significance from architectural or artistic distinction or historical importance; or
b. A building or structure removed from its original location but which is primarily significant for architectural value, or which is the surviving structure most importantly associated with a historic person or event; or
c. A birthplace or grave of a historical figure of outstanding importance if there is no appropriate site or building associated with his or her productive life; or
d. A cemetery that derives its primary importance from graves of persons of transcendent importance, from age, from distinctive design features, or from association with historic events; or City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 52 e. A reconstructed building when accurately executed in a suitable environment and presented in a dignified manner as part of a restoration master plan, and when no other building or structure with the same association has survived; or
f. A property primarily commemorative in intent if design, age, tradition, or symbolic value has invested it with its own exceptional significance; or
g. A property achieving significance within the past 50 years if it is of exceptional importance.
Table 6. Potential NR Eligible Properties per Criterion C
NRHP EST. YEAR ADDRESS INDIVIDUAL USE BUILT ELIGIBILITY
109 S 7th St Yes 1924 Residential
8539 Benson Rd Yes 1928 Residential
115 Front St Yes 1920 Residential
205 Front St Yes 1937 Residential
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 53 321 Front St Yes 1928 Commercial
909 Front St Yes 1904 Residential
1005 Front St Yes 1941 Residential
1101 Front St Yes 1918 Residential
1106 Front St Yes 1911 Residential
1113 Front St Yes 1935 Residential
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 54 700 Judson St Yes 1913 Residential
516 Main St Yes 1939 Educational
LYNDEN REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES ELIGIBILITY
NWV staff evaluated surveyed properties for potential eligibility for listing to the Lynden Register of Historic Places. Staff utilized Criterion 2 cited below, which is similar to National Register of Historic Places Criterion C. This criterion is based on architectural character and all properties were assessed from the public right-of-way. Future research may yield information making a property eligible under other criteria. No individual property research was completed as part of this study that would have informed evaluation under other criteria. Although DAHP does not track local register eligibility in WISAARD, NWV included these recommendations as part of the preservation planning strategy to help the new Lynden CLG gain momentum.
Of the properties surveyed, 39 appear to have sufficient integrity and distinctive architectural character to be considered for LRHP listing. In general, any property recommended as appearing potentially eligible for NRHP listing under Criterion C was also recommended as potentially LRHP eligible. Those properties that are only recommended for consideration as LRHP eligible either lacked sufficient distinctive architectural character or had slight alterations that diminished their NRHP eligibility potential. Refer to “Map 5. Eligibility recommendations for surveyed properties.” on page 72 for details.
CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING DESIGNATION IN THE REGISTER
Local municipal code chapter 19.65 Historic Preservation Ordinance, section 19.65.050 Lynden Register of Historic Places establishes the criteria for determining designation in the Lynden Register of Historic Places.
Any building, structure, site, object, or district may be designated for inclusion in the Lynden Historic Register if it is significantly associated with the history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or cultural heritage of the community; if it has integrity; is at least 50 years old, or is of lesser age and has exceptional importance to the Lynden Community; and if it falls in at least one of the following categories:
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 55 1. It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of national, state, or local history.
2. It embodies the distinctive architectural characteristics of a type, period, style, or method of design or construction, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction.
3. It is an outstanding work of a designer, builder, or architect who has made a substantial contribution to the art.
4. It exemplifies or reflects special elements of the City’s cultural, special, economic, political, aesthetic, engineering, or architectural history.
5. It is associated with the lives of persons significant in national, state, or local history.
6. It has yielded or may be likely to yield important archaeological information related to history or prehistory.
7. It is a building or structure removed from its original location but which is significant primarily for architectural value, or which is the only surviving structure significantly associated with an historic person or event.
8. It is a birthplace or grave of an historical figure of outstanding importance and is the only surviving structure or site associated with that person.
9. It is a cemetery which derives its primary significance from age, from distinctive design features, or from association with historic events, or cultural patterns.
10. It is a reconstructed building that has been executed in a historically accurate manner on the original site.
11. It is a creative and unique example of folk architecture and design created by persons not formally trained in the architectural or design professions, and which does not fit into formal architectural or historical categories.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 56 Table 7. Table: Potential LR Eligible Properties per Criterion 2
LRHP INDIVIDUAL EST. YEAR ADDRESS USE IMAGE ELIGIBILITY BUILT
107 S 1st St Yes 1915 Residential
113 6th St Yes 1939 Commercial
109 S 7th St Yes 1924 Residential
113 S 7th St Yes 1920 Residential
8539 Benson Rd Yes 1928 Residential
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 57 719 Edson St Yes 1898 Residential
108 E Front St Yes 1919 Residential
116 E Front St Yes 1935 Residential
125 E Front St Yes 1904 Residential
101 Front St Yes 1921 Residential
107 Front St Yes 1917 Residential
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 58 115 Front St Yes 1920 Residential
205 Front St Yes 1937 Residential
321 Front St Yes 1928 Commercial
400 Front St Yes 1913 Commercial
417 Front St Yes 1928 Commercial
421 Front St Yes 1922 Commercial
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 59 509 Front St Yes 1929 Commercial
511 Front St Yes 1929 Commercial
811 Front St Yes 1918 Residential
906 Front St Yes 1916 Residential
909 Front St Yes 1904 Residential
910 Front St Yes 1962 Residential
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 60 1005 Front St Yes 1941 Residential
1010 Front St Yes 1971 Religious
1101 Front St Yes 1918 Residential
1105 Front St Yes 1920 Residential
1106 Front St Yes 1911 Residential
1113 Front St Yes 1935 Residential
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 61 1201 Front St Yes 1934 Residential
1205 Front St Yes 1906 Residential
1300 Front St Yes 1907 Residential
1304 W Grover St Yes 1888 Residential
700 Judson St Yes 1913 Residential
Judson St Alley Yes 1928 Commercial
516 Main St Yes 1939 Educational
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 62 RECOMMENDATIONS
Implementation of the following recommendations will support local comprehensive planning, the purpose of the city’s Historic Preservation Ordinance (No. 1492) adopted in 2015, and the 2014- 2019 Washington State Historic Preservation Plan goals.
1. Conduct outreach to property owners of properties recommended for NRHP and/or LRHP eligibility to ask if they are interested in knowing more about their properties. The intent will be to conduct additional research on those properties with owners who are interested in the history of their buildings. Based on the research, the owners could then consider if they are interested in pursuing listing status. The research could be accomplished through volunteer or owner research parties, or through the City applying for grant funds to support intensive survey work. If grant funds are pursued, the City should obtain a letter from each interested property owner stating their interest in participating.
2. Conduct outreach to owners of commercial property owners to see if they are aware of and if they are interested in potential financial incentive use and what these incentives are.
3. Background research on ethnic settlement within and immediately around the city. This could involve outreach to the city’s churches. The intent will be to build a list of early immigrants, their country of origin, and their role in Lynden’s growth and development. The core of this would likely be Dutch immigration, but it is likely additional ethnicities would be identified during research.
4. Archival research in the Lynden Tribune by decade to create a finding aid of events and town development. This could be volunteers working through each issue, by year and writing/typing up a list of key headlines (with page and date citation). The intent is to make the wealth of information available in the newspaper more accessible to residents for property research.
5. Industrial area survey work, within the area loosely bounded by Main and Grover streets (south), Nooksack Avenue (east), Drayton Street (north), and Lynden Middle School (west). This area developed around the railroad branch line connection and contained some of the city’s principal industries. The intent will be a specific historic context focusing on the industrial growth and development for interpretive and educational purposes and the identification of any remaining historically significant buildings.
6. Commercial core research to work block by block and identify the building histories, past uses, owners, builders, and designers. This information could be used as part of a public walking tour or for business owners to have flyers on site. This would tie into the larger heritage tourism function of downtown and provide visitors with a better understanding of Lynden’s heritage as they walk around the commercial core.
Individual building research identified as part of the project:
7. 116 E Front Street: research the original owner, builder and occupancy. Built in 1935, this building was constructed during a period of growth for Lynden, but not the rest of the City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 63 nation. The house is largely intact and with an additional evaluation for criterion A it could potentially be NRHP eligibility and help expand story of city’s development during this period.
8. 1010 Front Street: research the original designer and how this building was used by the church. This is a highly intact and notable mid-20th century building in the city.
9. 1300 Front Street: research the original owner, builder, and occupancy to determine if there could be potential eligibility under criterion A.
DEVELOPMENT TRENDS
The following identifies key local development trends influencing the retention of historic properties within the city.
FAUX STOREFRONTS
Faux storefronts within the commercial core. Lynden has a rich Dutch heritage that should be researched and used to support both education and authenticity as key tools bolstering heritage tourism for Lynden. Authenticity is a significant draw for heritage tourism visitors. As repairs are made to buildings, consideration should be given to gradually restoring original storefront configurations where sufficient physical or archival record remains to support this work. The design review guidebook should be updated as needed to remove any requirement for faux Dutch elements.
INTEGRITY LOSS THROUGH ALTERATIONS
Residential loss through alterations. Window and siding changes were two of the more frequent alterations on buildings surveyed. Both can have a significant effect on the integrity and visual character of properties. Educating property owners on affordable means to provide energy upgrades while still retaining character-defining building features and neighborhood character will be important to avoid a broader erosion of neighborhood character.
NEW INFILL DEVELOPMENT
Seeking opportunities for compatible multi-family infill development close to the downtown core would support commercial business and general levels of pedestrian activity and residential density within the city. During the last 30-40 years, single family residential construction continues to occur within the historic residential areas north, west, and east of the commercial core. Managing how new development in these areas occurs will be important for retaining the character of these areas, as well as providing increased density adjacent the commercial core to support downtown businesses.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 64 4. Appendix
BIBLIOGRAPHY Assemblies of God. 2018. Assemblies of God History. Accessed 5 2, 2018. https://ag.org/About/ About-the-AG/History. Decima, Richard H. 2014. Lynden Cemetery Washington Heritage Register Nomination. Washing- ton Heritage Register Nomination, Olympia: Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. EDR. 2018. Certified Sanborn Map Report (1891, 1903, 1907, 1925, 1929, 1942). Sanborn Fire Insur- ance Maps, Shelton: EDR. Genealogy Trails. 2018. Whatcom County Washington Genealogy and History “Clamdigger’s Club.”. Accessed 5 1, 2018. http://genealogytrails.com/wash/whatcom/misc_clamdiggerclub. html. Hamilton, Mary Gillilan, ed. 1979. Echoes from the Past. Lynden, WA: Lynden Tribune. Heller, Ramon, and Shirley Ashenbrenner. 1993. Everyday Heroes: The Story of Lynden and Its People. Lynden, WA: Lynden Incorporated. Heritage Quest Online. n.d. Search Census, 1790-1940. Accessed 5 7, 2018. https://www.ancestry- heritagequest.com/HQA. Koert, Dorothy. 1976. Portrait of Lynden. Lynden, WA: Lynden Tribune. Kolva, H. Jim, and Steve Franks. 1989. Lynden Main Post Office National Register of Historic Plac- es Registration Form. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Washington DC: National Park Service. Lynden Christian Schools. 2013. Lynden Christian Schools. Accessed April 23, 2018. http://www. lyncs.org/philosophy/our-history. Lynden. n.d. Lynden Freight Shipping and Logistics. Accessed 5 1, 2018. http://www.lynden.com/ about/history.html. Lynden Tribune. 2017. “Clamdiggers gather Nov. 11 at Lynden museum.” Lynden Tribune, 11 1. Accessed 5 1, 2018. https://www.lyndentribune.com/news/clamdiggers-gather-nov-at-lyn- den-museum/article_07732508-be88-11e7-9cd5-a3a91ee7ce9b.html. Nelson, Edmund. 1995. A History of Lynden. [Lynden?]: Lewis Publishing Company. Nooksack Tribe. 2017. Nooksack Indian Tribe. Accessed April 24, 2018. http://nooksacktribe.org/. R. L. Polk and Company. 1913. Bellingham and Whatcom County City Directory. Seattle: R. L. Polk and Company. —. 1915. Bellingham and Whatcom County City Directory. Seattle: R. L. Polk and Company. —. 1919. Bellingham and Whatcom County City Directory. Seattle: R. L. Polk and Company. —. 1921-1922. Polk’s Bellingham and Whatcom County Directory. Seattle: R. L. Polk and Company. —. 1926. Polk’s Bellingham and Whatcom County Directory. Seattle: R. L. Polk and Company.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 65 —. 1928. Polk’s Bellingham City and Whatcom County Directory. Seattle: R. L. Polk and Company. —. 1934. Polk’s Bellingham City and Whatcom County Directory. Seattle: R. L. Polk and Company. —. 1936. Polk’s Bellingham City and Whatcom County Directory. Seattle: R. L. Polk and Company. —. 1932. Polk’s Bellingham City and Whatcom County Directory. Seattle: R. L. Polk and Company. —. 1938. Polk’s Bellingham City and Whatcom Countyu Directory. Seattle: R. L. Polk and Company. —. 1940. Polk’s Bellingham City Directory Including Lynden and Whatcom County Residents. Seat- tle: R. L. Polk and Company. The Northwest Washington Fair and Event Center. 2018. The Northwest Washington Fairgrounds and Event Center. Accessed April 23, 2018. https://nwwafair.com/timeline.aspx. Todd, Frances Bruce. 1982. The Trail Through the Woods. Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, Inc. US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management. 2018. General Land Office Records. Accessed April 25, 2018. https://glorecords.blm.gov/search/default.aspx. Washington State Office of Financial Management. n.d. Washington State Historical Decenni- al Populations for State, County, and City/Town: 1890 to 2000. Accessed April 23, 2018. https://www.ofm.wa.gov/washington-data-research/population-demographics/popula- tion-estimates/historical-estimates-april-1-population-and-housing-state-counties-and-cit- ies.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 66 MAPS
The following maps were developed as part of this project.
City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 67 Map 1. Survey area. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 68 Two working farms within the city limits and with large scale historic barns. These could become heritage barns. They are a fantastic anchor to the agricultural heritage and visual character defining the city edge. These were the best examples found within the city limits. There is another good example - on the east side of the city.
Oldest house in city based on assessor data. 1875. From Google street view appeared r------to have more integrity than most of the late 1800s era properties.
Legend
This appears to be a 1920s Survey [6252J travel court adjacent to the school. The building D Yes downtown core [43J appeared to have a high Yes Front Street [43J integrity level and appears to Yes Agriculture [2J be unique within the city. Yes Industrial [4J Yes 1800s [3J Yes Oldest House [1J Yes Mid 20th Century residences [2J Yes Travel [1J • Yes Education [1J Two mid-20th century DC potentials [2J properties that appeared to Front Street potentials [SJ have a high level of integrity D and be high quality designs, D [OJ also appeared based on • Listed[2J These are some of the late assessor data to be built at D DAHP determination of not eligible [2J 1800s properties that appear the same time. to have a higer level of Source City integrity than most of the other properties from this D lynden CityLimits period. They are scattered a l bit. Shown as the three red J parcels.
Lynden I Reconnaissance Survey Property Selection VERNACULAR NORTH nwhistoric preservation
Map 2. Citywide survey selection. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 69 Map 3. Downtown survey selection. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 70 Main St. Historic Resources Assessment
Parcels to be Surveyed - 2018 2nd St.
3rd St.
Downtown 4th St. 1st St.
5th St.
6th St.
Edson St. Liberty7th St. St.
8th St.
9th St.
10th St.
11th St. Grover St.
12th St.
Front St.
B.C. Ave. 14th St. 14th
Judson St. City Limits 15th St. 15th
Lynden, WA.
Line Rd. Vinup Rd.
BenderRd.
NorthwoodRd.
Depot Rd. City Limits Main St. BensonRd.
Grover St.
Front St.
Guide MeridianRd. City of Lynden See Map Date: 2/16/2018 /
Map 4. Properties to be surveyed. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 71 Map 5. Eligibility recommendations for surveyed properties. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 72 Map 6. Surveyed properties by decade built. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 73 Map 7. Surveyed properties by use. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 74 Map 8. Surveyed properties by structural material. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 75 Map 9. Surveyed properties by architectural style. City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 76 Map 10. 1891 Sanborn City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 77 Map 11. 1903 Sanborn City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 78 Map 12. 1907 Sanborn City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 79 Map 13. 1925 Sanborn City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 80 Map 14. 1929 Sanborn City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 81 Map 15. 1942 Sanborn City of Lynden | Reconnaissance Level Survey Northwest Vernacular 82