Kitsap Cabin is a very Mountaineer place.
By Jamie Gordon, November 2003, Mountaineer Magazine
'Mountaineer' is not normally used as an adjective, so perhaps an explanation is in order. The word means dedication, a sense of community, working together, and not surrendering in the face of adversity. During the past three years, the club's 20 acres on the Kitsap Peninsula has been the site of drama, hard work, camaraderie, and proof positive that volunteers can accomplish great things.
A Long History with the Mountaineers
The history of this fascinating place started in 1909 when a group of Mountaineers hikers in Kitsap County lost their way and met a family living in a breathtakingly beautiful valley where two salmon streams converge. For over 90 years, the beauty of the surroundings and good friendships brought Mountaineers back to the area time and time again. The club purchased 74 acres for $374 in 1916 and dubbed it the 'Rhododendron Park'. The broken down house on the property could not serve the club's needs for very long, however. With many young men fighting abroad during World War I, a group of mostly women volunteers constructed a new building on the site. The Club President, Professor Edmund Meany, dedicated Kitsap Cabin on November 23, 1918. Additional purchases and donations increased the size of the property to over 240 acres by 1985, when 220 acres were transferred to the stewardship of the Mountaineer Foundation as a nature preserve. The Foundation continues to increase the size of the Rhododendron Preserve through land acquisition.
Kitsap Cabin is Almost Lost
In 1999, the club's Board of Trustees commissioned a study of all its Recreational Properties. The report and a subsequent study by a restoration architect painted a grim picture of Kitsap Cabin resulting in its closure in October. The shock and disappointment of the many club members who loved the property galvanized the Kitsap/Players Committee of the Property Division to mobilize a team of volunteers to save the historic structure. As a result, the club submitted an application to the Washington State Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation to list Kitsap Cabin and the Forest Theatre on the Washington Heritage Register. The register recognizes places in the State that have architectural, historical, or cultural significance. The listing was enthusiastically granted in June of 2001, along with encouragement to apply for a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Board passed a resolution to accept tax-deductible donations towards support of the new heritage site, agreeing to match the first $25,000. The fundraising effort showed immediate results: The Mountaineers Everett Branch donated $7500. The Mountaineer Players reunited a cast and crew of over 50 people to restage a special production of The Music Man in August 2001 at the Forest Theatre, two months after the regular run of the show closed. The event raised over $10,000 for the restoration. In four short months, the Foundation's Kitsap Restoration Fund had raised over $90,000.
Construction Begins
Phase I of the Kitsap Cabin restoration was completed in September 2002. Thousands of hours of volunteer and professional work resulted in a new foundation, a rebuilt river-rock fireplace, new porches, an ADA-compliant access ramp, and a new electrical infrastructure. The Board of Trustees re-opened Kitsap Cabin at their April 2002 meeting, just 18 months after closing it. We owe this extraordinary achievement to the support of many people from around the club and in the local Kitsap community.
More Work Remains
Phase II includes a broad range of additional improvements. An $8,000 guarantee from the Foundation general fund went towards a new roof and rebuilding the front porch roof. In addition, new windows, siding, insulation, and structural improvements need to be completed in the coming months. This second and likely final phase of the Kitsap Cabin restoration must be financed through new fundraising efforts totaling approximately $32,000.
The future of Kitsap Cabin is no longer grim. Plans include support for the new Kitsap Branch of the club, continuation of long-standing Players traditions, and development of an interpretive center for the Rhododendron Preserve. Most important of all, it will continue to be a 'Mountaineer' place, where a work ethic still prevails and the lasting friendships forged by our common outdoor experiences endure.
