The founder of Claquato, Lewis Davis, first began Presbyterian services in his log cabin home after he built the dwelling in 1853. Davis, along with his wife, Susan, donated land[2] for a new dedicated church and construction commenced in 1857 as a Presbyterian house of worship. As Davis understood the Methodist congregation to be a much larger contingent of the area's population, the chapel was allowed to be consecrated the following year under the Methodist church with a promise that the chapel was to be open to all denominations.[3][4] The building was used as a schoolhouse, known locally as the "Claquato Academy", until a new school was built in 1874.[5] When the county seat moved from Claquato to Chehalis in 1874, the church began to lose its congregants though services continued into the 1930s.[3] For a brief time between 1880 and 1882, the church was used again for Presbyterian services.[3] In 1882, the property was deeded to the Claquato community.[2]
A small renovation project, for repairs and the need for a new floor, was completed in 1929.[5] The Salvation Army began services that same year.[6] The church was rededicated in 1933[2] and occasional religious services were held into the late 1930s. The site was vacant until the Lewis County commissioner's board authorized a restoration project which was completed in 1953.[3][7]
The 1953 renovation, overseen by a local American Legion chapter, made no changes to the building but did include restoring the original woodwork, repairing the belfry, hanging new mid-19th century style wallpaper, and refinishing the exterior.[7] In 2006, the crown of thorns on the steeple was restored and the Lewis County Historical Society installed a commemorative plaque, a "Meeker marker", in honor of early non-Native pioneer, Ezra Meeker.[8]
The Claquato Church has been owned by the Lewis County Parks commission since 1952 for use as a public facility however faith services are no longer held.[3] The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[9] The church held a 100-year anniversary in 1958 and a 150th anniversary in 2008.[3][10]
Architecture
Claquato Church, date unknown
The church was built under the oversight of John Duff Clinger and the design mirrored that of a Methodist church in Portland, Oregon. The first lumber milled by the new sawmill in the town was used in the construction.[2] The building features a louvered belfry and crown steeple modeled after mid-nineteenth century New England meeting houses, topped by a crown of thorns.[11] The building is 600 square feet, measuring 20 ft × 30 ft (6.1 m × 9.1 m);[11] the sanctuary, which seats 70 people, is listed at 20 ft × 23 ft (6.1 m × 7.0 m) in dimension.[3]
Features
The grounds contain a cemetery which is home to the "Pioneer Fir", a Douglas fir that was used as a waypoint in the early days of pioneer travel. A memorial plaque dedicated in 1937 marks the history of the tree and the first non-Native settlers in the area.[12]
Wood planks initially used to build the church are visible in the vestibule and the belfry, as of 2021, contains the original 1857 bronze bell that was manufactured in Boston, Massachusetts by the Henry A. Hopper Company for $100.[2][7][13] The pews, donated by residents of Boistfort, and the pulpit, built using wood from the original organ, were hand crafted.[14]
Significance
Claquato Church is the oldest standing church building in the state of Washington.[15][16] Considered the last of the Washington Territory churches to remain, the building was the second Protestant house of worship constructed in the incorporated region.[2] In recognition of the historical importance of Claquato Church, the building and grounds were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[1]
^Pacific County Historical Society and Museum. "Sou'wester Summer 2006 Double". The Sou'wester. XLII (2 and 3) (Summer and Fall 2006 ed.): 11. ISSN0038-4984. Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
