BOWMAN BAY — Slowly but surely, historic structures at Deception Pass State Park are succumbing to the elements.

Moss covers the roofs. Rot and signs of powder post beetle infestation are visible on many of the historic structures that dot the landscape.

One building, the Bowman Bay Shelter, recently received a good going-over.

A group of volunteers working beside Harrison Goodall of Conservation Services of Langley undertook the task of cleaning the old shelter. Goodall specializes in historic structures, architectural conservation and facility management.

Joining Goodall was Eric Watilo, Northwest Region Director of Washington State Parks, Lex Palmer, historic preservation manager for the Washington State Parks, and Jack Hart, the park’s manager. That foursome was joined by a group of volunteers ready to get down to the business of structural cleaning.

“This is a park-like structure,” said Watilo. “Unfortunately, there isn’t enough money or manpower to do everything that needs to be done.”

The Bowman Bay Shelter was built in the 1930s. With the country in an economic depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to help young men get back on their feet. They received employable skills and a living wage for their families while building parks and trails, and planting forests.

“It’s important we do this,” said Jason Stapert, park ranger and volunteer. “You want these buildings to last for the next generation.”

At Deception Pass, the CCC established a pair of camps, one at Cornet Bay and the other at Rosario. The men at the two camps built many of the park’s features. Kitchen shelters, ranger residences, roadways, trails, restrooms and the original log railings along the highway are some of the contributions of the CCC.

Most of the CCC’s efforts are still in use, a testament to the craftsmanship.

“Structures such as these are incredibly special,” said Hart. “Buildings like this will never be built again. Basically, we have a museum right here, out in the elements. So we don’t want to damage the historic fabric of the structure. This building is totally intact. If they can get the kind of upkeep they need, they can certainly stand the test of time.”

The Bowman Bay Shelter has its share of problems. But addressing all of them at this time isn’t feasible. The biggest reason is the lack of money.

“A full restoration is going to be expensive,” said Goodall. “Probably between $50,000 and $100,000. Granted, a lot of it can be done at a relatively low expense. A lot can be done by volunteers. However, there are some things that can only be done by professionals.

“What is the cost of preserving our past? For that question, I really don’t have an answer.”

In lieu of full restoration, Goodall and his crew took measures to slow the deterioration.

“What we are doing is not making repairs,” said Goodall. “What we are doing is scrubbing, clearing and cleaning the structure because the clock is ticking on a structure like this.”

He compared the day’s efforts to seeing a dentist after a long hiatus.

“You go to a dentist for a cleaning after a long time,” said Goodall, “and they find a lot of decay. That’s what we’ve found here. With this type of cleaning, hopefully we can slow down that deterioration process.”

Goodall visited the park in 2007, inspecting many of the historic structures. He then put together a report highlighting what needed to be done to preserve the buildings.
“These aren’t high-style historic buildings,” said Goodall. “These are rustic, vernacular structures that tell a story of our past. In my report, I chronicled what was going wrong and then I made recommendations on what could be done.”

Goodall’s report was reviewed by Palmer, who agreed with the recommendations.

“I took a hard look at Harrison’s study,” said Palmer, “and saw it as something very tangible.

“Good historical preservation is good maintenance. These buildings need a good cleaning at least two times per year. This building is not in bad shape. However, the bottom line is preservation.”

Restoration is delicate business.

“Logically, if a roof needs repairs, then it must be repaired,” said Goodall. “But you need to repair it in a manner that saves the craftsmanship and the workmanship. The problem is you just can’t duplicate that nowadays. Buildings such as this shelter are very special.

“So in the report I put together, I specified treatments. Doing just what needs to be done.”

The group put up scaffolding to clean the roof. Using brooms, rakes and even sticks to get debris from between the cedar shakes, the workers stretched as far as they dared on the decades-old roof as needles, moss and even sea shells were pulled to the ground.

In the meantime, an air compressor sprung to life as Watilo sprayed under the eaves and around the shelter’s stout timbers, removing whatever clung to the areas.

“This is very important work,” Watilo said between blasts of air. “If we can prolong the life of the building, it’s definitely worth it. Buildings like this are what makes this park unique. Each one tells a story.”

In order to slow deterioration, Palmer said they were spraying a mixture of cleaner and water onto problem areas. That concoction was allowed to set for about 10 minutes, then scrubbed off.

“It’s real simple,” said Palmer. “Plus it kills organic growth. It also works as an insecticide. However, it’s very friendly to wood.”

And there are insects currently dining on the building.

“Our big worries with this structure are powder post beetles and carpenter ants,” said Palmer. “You see all these little holes that look like buckshot, those are powder post beetle exit holes. They burrow in and lay their eggs. On large logs, it’s really not an issue. But it can end up compromising the building’s integrity by allowing water access into the logs.”

Using brushes and sponges, volunteers scrubbed and scrubbed. Phillip Jensen of La Conner made his way around the shelter removing old nails.

“There’s only so much volunteers can do,” said Jensen. “Plus, there are only so many volunteers.”

This shelter was at one time in dire straits.

“When I first arrived here at the park,” recalled Hart, “there were trees growing out of the roof. Every once in a while, we’d clean the roof. But I’d say this is more of a deep cleaning. It’s definitely something that needs to be done periodically.”

As Goodall circled the structure, he pointed out worrisome areas. First and foremost was the deterioration of the logs that stick out beyond the roof line. While visually impressive, the exposed portions were covered with moss, cracks and large holes.

“The elements have taken their toll on those logs extending beyond the roof line,” explained Goodall. “They are deteriorating. So going back to the dentist analogy, they are like a cavity that needs a filling. So what we will do is attempt to slow down that process. The last thing we want to do is to have to perform an extraction. That would mean sawing the ends of the logs off. We don’t want to have to do that.”

The best-case scenario, said Goodall, is that the building gets a new shake roof and the structure’s logs get some sort of finish.

“You do those things,” he said, “and it will last another 100 years.

“There needs to be an awareness,” he added, “that these are very special buildings that need our attention. These structures define our past. You simply can’t build structures like this anymore.”

Vince Richardson can be reached at 360-416-2181 or by e-mail at