EVERETT —Efforts to restore one of Everett’s most iconic landmarks — the historic Weyerhaeuser Office Building — has earned statewide recognition. On Sept. 18, the Port of Everett, its partner, NGMA Group, and project manager, The Schuster Group, received the Valerie Sivinski Award for Outstanding Rehabilitation from the Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation for its restoration of the 100-year-old building.
The Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation’s (DAHP) Valerie Sivinski Awards honor projects that embody the spirit of the late Valerie Sivinski, a longtime DAHP board member and preservation leader dedicated to saving Washington’s historic places.
“Every member of the project team worked diligently to preserve and honor every possible original aspect of the Weyerhaeuser Office Building,” DAHP said in a statement.
The group’s effort to bring the “local beauty” back to life began in 2016 when the Port relocated the building to Boxcar Park — its third home on the Everett waterfront — from its previous location on West Marine View Drive in Marina Village. After sitting vacant for several years, the Port spearheaded a multi-million-dollar public/private partnership with NGMA Group to restore and reopen the building for public use and enjoyment.
The project carefully preserved the building’s historic Gothic character while transforming it for modern use. The building reopened in 2023 during its centennial year. It is now home to The Muse Whiskey & Coffee — a vintage coffee bar by day and 1920s speakeasy-inspired whiskey bar by night — and doubles as a marine clubhouse, events venue and museum. “This was an ambitious historic preservation project for our team, and we’re proud of the care that went into every detail,” Port of Everett Executive Director/CEO Lisa Lefeber said. “Restoring a century-old building was no small task, and it required many dedicated partners like NGMA Group and The Schuster Group, to pull off this meticulous and complex work. But the results have been worth it to see its renewed life as a thriving business and special venue, and as key part of our Waterfront Place community.”
“It has been a joy to serve as stewards of this space and to watch both the local community and visiting guests gather here — whether over a cup of coffee or while enjoying craft cocktails with friends and family,” said Jack Ng, owner of NGMA Group and The Muse Whiskey & Coffee. “We are truly honored by this award and deeply grateful to everyone involved in bringing this project to life.”
The Schuster Group served as the architect and project manager during the effort. “Projects like this are rare and extraordinary,” Holly Gardner, President & Managing Principal at The Schuster Group, said. “To preserve the storied history of the Weyerhaeuser Office Building while breathing new life into its space for public enjoyment is a one-of-a-kind opportunity. We are immensely proud of what the team achieved at Muse Whiskey & Coffee and are deeply honored to have contributed to its revival.”
Restoration work included saving the building entrance’s stained glass windows, preserving the Batchelder fireplace in the front room, and turning the company’s former vault into a temperature-controlled wine and spirits collection room. Graham Construction was the contractor for the project.
To complement the space, the Port launched a virtual history experience with a new website highlighting the vibrant history of Everett’s once-booming timber industry and the Weyerhaeuser Building through stories of influential people, architecture, headline-making tales, and more.
Guests can see historic images and read plaques with nuggets of history, while also accessing QR codes throughout the building to learn more. It can also be found online at www.weyerhaeusermusehistory.com.
Background
Constructed in 1923, the Weyerhaeuser Office building was built entirely of Pacific Coast timber to illustrate the possibilities of Weyerhaeuser lumber for the construction of buildings both beautiful and practical. Architect Carl Gould was commissioned to design the 6,000-square-foot, Gothic-style structure was intended to showcase the company’s local wood products such as fir, cedar, and hemlock. Its first home was at Weyerhaeuser’s Mill A site (today’s South Terminal at the Port of Everett Seaport).
The storied building then went on to move to two more locations. It moved from its original location to the company’s Mill B on the Snohomish River in 1938 where it was used for many years until the company donated it to the Everett Area Chamber of Commerce. It moved to a site on 18th Street in the Port’s Marina Village in 1983 where it was the home of the chamber for many years. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The Port moved the building to its current location in Boxcar Park in 2016 in advance of the siting of the Grand Avenue Bridge. The process to move the building took 11 hours. The Port and NGMA Group completed the restoration in 2023 and opened its doors to a new life 100 years after it was first built.
Today, the Weyerhaeuser Building serves as a reminder and tribute to Everett’s mill town roots and the once prevalent lumber and shingle industry on its waterfront.
About Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place
The Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place is a new 1.5-million square foot mixed-use development located on 65 acres at the waterfront near the downtown core in Everett, Washington. The development boasts spectacular views, waterfront access, recreational amenities, and a world-class marina – the largest public Marina on the West Coast – with 2,300 slips and 5,000 linear feet of guest moorage. At full build-out, the Waterfront Place mixed-use development will include 63,000 square feet (sf) of retail/restaurant space, another 20,000 sf of marine retail, 447,500 sf of office, two waterfront hotels, and up to 660 waterfront housing units. Featured amenities include new trails and regional parks, public gathering spaces, a variety of fine and casual dining, local shops, and marine sales and services. The project’s expected $1 billion in public/private investment is estimated to support nearly 2,100 family-wage jobs and generate $8.6 million annually in state and local sales taxes. To date, the Port has facilitated more than $350 million in public/private investment here, with more to come. For more information, visit: www.portofeverett.com/wpc.
Source: Port of Everett
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
