Location: LaCrosse, WA
Client: LaCrosse Community Pride
Size: 1,200 sq ft
Cost: $30,000 (fee)
Dates: 2023-present
The single-story Stone Service Station is a former service station uniquely constructed using stacked basalt stones bridged with masonry mortar. The basalt stones were collected from surrounding fields and acted as the most readily available building material. The original building was constructed in 1936 during the Great Depression. The original footprint consists of a 1,200 square-foot rectangular building, and the lean-to structure adds an additional 500 square feet.
Based on preliminary observations, the roof framing system does not appear to be appropriately connected to the load-bearing stone masonry. Several rafters in the attic of the Service Station are in need of replacement due to an electrical fire leading to the building’s abandonment in the 1960s. The SSS sits adjacent to four rock bunkhouses which recently completed construction.
Specific technical preservation issues include:
- Building reported abandoned in 1960’s
- Charred & smoke-damaged roof framing members
- Deep-set mortar and exposed stone profiles
- Roof framing system not properly fastened to masonry
- Historic wood window, glazing, glazing putty
- Restoration and repair of historic hardware