|
 1913 - City Hall - Newport, WA Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 48° 10.793 W 117° 02.634
11U E 496736 N 5336294
Built in 1913, 10 years after the town was established, this was Newport's first substantial city hall. Given that it is still the city hall, it must, indeed, have been very substantially built.
Waymark Code: WMNK77
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 03/26/2015
Views: 2
In the northwest corner of the building is a concrete cornerstone with the date - 1913 - embossed in the concrete and painted black. The cornerstone is today well hidden behind shrubbery.
This is what most would readily call a handsome building, with its decorative brickwork, stepped front parapet and domed bell tower. At the front is a covered entrance with a pair of brick columns supporting the portico style roof. We noticed a brick or two that had fallen out, but in general the building is still in pretty good shape, considering its 102 years of hard use. Taking note of the age of the building and its ongoing importance to the community, the city hall has been declared a Pend Oreille County Historic Site.
We noticed, too, that the bell tower serves double duty, containing not only a bell, but, below it, a warning siren. It's a good sized siren, doubtless audible throughout town and beyond. The bell has a rope trailing down from it, a sure sign that it is in working condition, though whether or not it's actually rung we have no idea.
Below is a bit of the history of Newport and its neighbour, Oldtown, Idaho, the original centre of activity in the area, and the town from which Newport stole the post office.
About Newport, Washington
Newport, Washington became the Pend Oreille County seat in 1911. The county is situated in the northeastern corner of Washington and was originally part of Stevens County. Newport is the largest city in Pend Oreille County and is nestled along the Pend Oreille River at the Washington-Idaho border approximately 40 miles north-east of Spokane.
Around the late 1880s and early 1890s a small community began to emerge east of the present city of Newport. By 1892 this settlement was known as Newport, Idaho (later Oldtown). Its namesake denoted its purpose—a port for river and overland travel. Supplies from this port to the settlers in the Pend Oreille Valley were transported from Newport, Rathdrum and Sandpoint, Idaho. The “new port” of Idaho had a restaurant, general store with a post office, small hotel and a saloon.
In 1892 the Great Northern Railroad ran a line to Newport and further growth in the area occurred.
In 1895 the Talmadge brothers, Charles and Warren, acquired 40 acres of land and formed the "Newport, Washington Land Company" and platted the townsite of Newport, Washington. From its early inception, a controversy began over the location of the post office, then located in Newport, Idaho. By 1901 the town of Newport, Washington had a population of over 200. Because the majority of the population was on the Washington side, the United States Postmaster General issued an order requiring the post office to be moved from the Idaho to the Washington side of Newport. This action officially eliminated the town of Newport, Idaho, and established the town of Newport, Washington. Newport, Idaho remained on the maps as an unincorporated village until April 1947, when the town was incorporated and the name Oldtown was officially adopted.
From the City of Newport
Year of construction: 1913
Cross-listed waymark: [Web Link]
Full inscription:
1913
|
Visit Instructions:
When logging a visit to a waymark in this category, please provide one or more photos taken by yourself, and note down your impressions and any background information you may have.
Recent Visits/Logs:
| There are no logs for this waymark yet. |
|
|
|
|