PORT TOWNSEND — The logs have been cut and peeled. The plans have been drawn up. The street vacations and easements have been ironed out, and the building permit was submitted Thursday.
The Fred Lewis Scout Cabin Association is getting ready to roll.
With community help, the association, made up of representatives from the Elks, American Legion, Scouts and the community, is on track to build a log cabin to replace the one built in the 1930s on land donated by Port Townsend businessman Fred Lewis.
“We are hoping to have the building permit within the next 30 to 60 days, said Ralph Ericksen, an association board member who is serving as project coordinator, “and then construction will begin with the excavation of the basement area.”
Several subcontractors have stepped up and offered to be involved, Ericksen said, but segments of the project remain to be covered. The most immediate need is for earth-moving and concrete for the basement. As the log cabin rises, donations of lumber and plywood, joists, trusses and metal roofing, windows, doors and drywall will be needed, he said.
“We have a list of volunteers for work — from carpentry, electricians and roofers to offers of making cookies and coffee for the crews,” Ericksen said, “but we could always use more.”
Donations and hard work by volunteers has brought the project to the ground-breaking stage, organizers said.
They include 13-year-old Michael Ervin, who rode his bicycle out to the site, the former American Legion park at the entrance to town, to help hand-peel logs. Even though he is not a Scout, Michael, who lives in Port Townsend, found out about the project last year at the association’s booth at the Jefferson County Fair and signed up to help.
“I thought it would be kind of cool,” Michael said. “When they start building, I’m going to come back and help.”
Organizers hope that donations of materials, labor and equipment will cover half the cost of construction, estimated at $400,000. The association has received 501C(3) status from the IRS, making donations tax-deductible.
Two fundraisers are already in progress — a “Buy a Log” campaign and a raffle.
For $200, an individual or organization can pay for a log and designate an inscription. Several Scout groups, including Boy Scout Troop 1479, and the Evangelical Bible Church. where the troop is meeting temporarily have already bought logs, according to Pat McMinds, association president.
Nancy Wiltse, treasurer of Troop 1479, is organizing the raffle with a full-sized patriotic-themed quilt made by April Stone as first prize.
Other prizes include a picture of the old Scout cabin, which was on Morgan Hill in Port Townsend. Born and raised in Port Townsend, Nancy, who is the spouse of Scoutmaster Dick Wiltse, said her mother and brothers were all involved in Cubs and Scouts, so was familiar with the old cabin, also a community project. It was torn down in 2003, but she still runs into people who regret its loss.
“I just tell them we’re headed in new direction,” she said.
The cabin association will also have a booth at the fair where people can see the plans and sign up.
The raffle will end Sept. 19, when the winning tickets will be drawn at the association’s annual picnic on the park grounds. All Scouts in the county are invited to the picnic, either individually or as a troop, McMinds said, and all Scouts in Jefferson County are welcome to use the cabin and park.
The cabin will provide a place for supplies and records as well as storage for camping equipment.
“We plan to use it for meetings and campouts,” said Rolf Schumann, assistant scoutmaster of Troop 1477. “It will be nice to have a dedicated space for Scouts again.”
Ericksen said with the community’s support, the cabin walls could be up and the roof cover on before winter. To volunteer, contact him at consultsnw@waypt.com or phone 360-385-6453.
For more information about the Scout cabin and the Buy A Log campaign, go to www.scoutcabinpt.org.
________
Port Townsend reporter Jennifer Jackson can be reached at jjackson@olypen.com.
