Repairs for fire-damaged Brewmaster’s House could take at least eight months, Tumwater fast-tracks renovations

Repairs for the Brewmaster’s House could take at least eight months, according to Chuck Denney, Tumwater’s Park and Recreation director.

The early 20th-century structure, which was formerly called Henderson House Museum, was intentionally set on fire by a transient man on January 21.

To expedite the repairs needed for the historic structure, Mayor Debbie Sullivan signed an emergency declaration and a waiver to forego bidding requirements of public work projects on January 31. The city council also approved a resolution on Tuesday, February 7, finding the need for the emergency declaration and authorizing City Administrator John Doan to enter into contracts for the repair of the structure.

Denney said city staff is in contact with Heritage Restoration Inc, a company that deals with structures that have been damaged by fire and water. Once the city enters into a service provider agreement with Heritage Restoration, the company would evaluate the damage to the structure and its contents before coming up with a plan to fix it.

The cost for the repairs is yet to be determined, but Denney said that city staff would return to the city council for the approval of the agreement.

City Attorney Karen Kirkpatrick added that the structure and its contents are insured for up to $1 million, so city staff would only request additional funding if the repairs cost exceeds the insured amount.

Repair to the structure won’t be expensive

Denney assured that “repairing the structure itself isn't going to be all that expensive,” adding that the structure would need repairs on its siding and floorings.

The fire affected three rooms: the basement, the back porch, and the office on the second floor. The man who started the fire had lit a plastic pipe covered in silk which started a fire underneath the house’s deck. All of the doors in the house were removed so the fire department could enter, while portions of the wall on the second floor were also taken down to ensure no fire was left in the wall cavity.

As for the contents of the house, Denney said that a lot of items were damaged by smoke and said anything that could be thrown has been disposed of while they are still assessing if some of the items could be salvaged.

A photo archive, which was kept in the basement, remained intact, said Denney, adding that the Olympia Tomorrow Foundation has offered to provide space to house the archive.