Even as Redmond’s downtown neighborhood booms with new development, “History is Happening in Redmond” remains a slogan of the Redmond Historical Society.
Look for fun and educational displays about Redmond’s colorful past, going up this month in some of the windows of the quaint building which was last occupied by Underhill’s Fine Wood Furniture, at 164th Avenue Northeast and Redmond Way.
The building, being renovated by Redmond’s Magellan Architects, will become the city’s new location of the Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLBC) liquor store. Information about the store’s opening date is not yet available, but “the interior design was based on a new color and finish package for the WSLCB that was modified to compliment the nature of the existing building,” said Josh Peterson of Magellan Architects.
“The ceiling will remain open to show the underside of the existing wood roof decking and the interior and perimeter columns will remain exposed with the tenant’s casework in-between them,” Peterson added. “Magellan and WSLBC are coordinating with Redmond Historical Society to create historical displays …. to provide interest to pedestrians along the street while screening the stockroom areas from view.”
Redmond Historical Society vice-president Miguel Llanos confirmed, “Magellan approached us a couple months ago after Jayme Jonas at (City of Redmond) Planning let them know we’re always looking for display areas. We have plans for five themed exhibits and hope to install them the first or second week of March. One of the themes will be the original use of the building, which was a service station and car sales showroom owned by Bill Brown, who went on to become Redmond’s longest serving mayor.”
In addition to a large photo of that garage from around 1940, garage items and smaller photos of the garage during different eras will be displayed, said Llanos. He further noted that the historical society is hoping to find an antique gas pump to add to that display.
Other historic items at the site will include:
• A potbelly stove from the Redmond Trading Company (now Half-Price Books) and items from that old-time general store, as well as chairs from the original Odd Fellows Hall (now Oddfellow’s Bar and Grill).
• A logging theme section with a big photo of Campbell Mill, formerly located on Lake Sammamish, plus antique saws and woodworking tools.
• A huge aerial photo of Redmond, believed to be from the late 1950s or early ‘60s.
• A “secretary” or writing desk, as it would be displayed in a vintage room, with related writing tools and a steamer trunk with vintage linens and clothing.
Llanos imagined the display areas at the former Underhill’s building becoming somewhat like a “mini-museum,” with exhibits rotating a couple of times a year. The Redmond Historical Society does have a small office in the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center “and we’d like to have a physical museum, but it’s expensive to do and there is no guarantee people would come in,” he explained.
Utilizing display space in other buildings, “allows us to gain exposure without risk,” Llanos noted.
The Trader Joe’s store on Redmond Way also offers some display space to the Redmond Historical Society. The society continues to look for more venues to place historic photos and artifacts, as well as grant money from organizations such as King County’s 4Culture.
“Collecting is important — displaying is more important,” Llanos concluded, inviting interested residents and business owners to contact the Redmond Historical Society and City of Redmond planner Jayme Jonas if they have questions or ideas about historic preservation.
For information about the Redmond Historical Society, visit www.redmondhistoricalsociety.org, e-mail info@redmondhistoricalsociety.org or call (425) 885-2919.
To learn more the City of Redmond’s Historic Preservation program, contact Jayme Jonas at jjonas@redmond.gov or (425) 556-2496.
