The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

STARBUCK—The Town of Starbuck in Columbia County, Washington recently completed an interior restoration of the Historic City Hall Building following an almost year-long shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

City Hall was the former Bank of Starbuck, originally built in 1904 at the corner of Main and McNeil Streets. It closed as a bank in 1931 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

The closure of the building in 2020 and into early 2021 created maintenance issues for the interior of the building. Leaking from outside sprinklers through original brick walls negatively affected the hardwood flooring in the office and general meeting room. The old wooden meeting table and oak furniture required refurbishing, and brass fixtures needed polishing. The bulk of the interior was desperate for fresh paint to its original colors.

Starbuck Mayor Zonia Dedloff contacted a regional non-profit, Blue Mountain Resource Conservation & Development Council, to request assistance to secure funding for building improvements. The council was awarded $4,000 from the Blue Mountain Community Foundation, $3,000 from the Wildhorse Foundation, and $1,000 from the Kinsman Foundation of Milwaukee, Ore., for the restoration project. The Council also offered an additional $500 of professional services for grant writing, project oversight, and final grant reporting.

Work began once suitable contractors and bids were received last winter. The mayor, city council, and community members are pleased with the restoration.

“Our City Hall is beautiful!” exclaimed Mayor Dedloff.

New drapes (former drop cloths during the interior painting) are effectively minimizing the noise in City Hall. New blinds reduce the warming of the office space, leading to reduced energy use for the building. New entry rugs and a planned handrail will welcome persons to the building. Community members now hold monthly potluck dinners organized by residents to enjoy the building and each other.

The building continues to be used for town business, city council meetings, and housing office equipment. Future projects may yet include the replacement of a cracked interior window and the addition of storm windows. Starbuck recently received financial support from Representative Skylar Rude’s office to resurrect the Starbuck Rodeo Grounds.