Sammamish Heritage Society Nears Fundraising Goal to Move Reard House

Ella Moore, president of the Sammamish Heritage Society, told the Sammamish City Council last night that the organization has been awarded a $28,850 4Culture historic preservation grant to help it move the Reard House, the city's oldest non-native building, to the Piggott property in the spring.

Currently, the house is sitting on blocks off 212th Avenue Southeast, north of Southeast 20th Street. The Sammamish Heritage Society is trying to raise $70,000 to help save the house—with the new grant, it has reached just over $65,000, and is hoping to be awarded another $3,000 grant soon. The  could match that amount to help restore the exterior, including replacing the roof and siding.

The idea is to have the house, built in 1895, be part of a heritage park on the land and sit near the Tanner House, which dates to the 1910s, .

What will be the ultimate uses of the Reard house will depend in large part on the city’s master planning process for the heritage park, Moore said, but at least part of the Reard house will be designated as a museum space, in keeping with the requirements of the grants it has received.

The city council applauded the grant announcement.

“I was glad to see a positive response from the council,” Moore said. She said there have been plenty of hurdles for the organization, especially in moving from a private to public sector dynamic, but the society is pleased with the progress and looking forward to the future of Sammamish history.

“It just takes time,” Moore said.

Time—and community effort.

The heritage society will be seeking volunteers to help with the move, for everything from cleaning out the inside of the house to prepare it for the move and breaking down and reconstructing the fence that surrounds it, to possibly pro bono contractor assistance to help with the restoration work, which will have to meet standards for the home’s historic landmark status.