This phase of the project will restore the roof and begin restoring the front porch.

The future of a historic Lewiston landmark just became much brighter. Lewis-Clark Early Childhood Program has met a $20,000 match challenge offered by the Harry W. Morrison Foundation for the Hurlbut Mansion restoration project.

With that funding in place, and with other funding the agency has raised in the past year — including a $15,000 grant from the Idaho Heritage Trust — work on restoring the mansion’s roofing and porch is scheduled to begin Monday, May 21, when a crew from Midland Construction will begin repairing the porch roof.

“This is a real milestone for this project,” agency Executive Director Dorlan Hergesheimer said. “It has been a long time coming, but restoring the roof stops the ongoing water damage to the building, and puts us in a good place to move forward with other repairs.”  

With the porch roof repaired, the mansion can be re-roofed entirely. New 50-year laminate shingle will be laid; the round, metal dormer roofs will be refurbished; the four Ionic columns framing the front of the building will be taken down for restoration; and the second-story deck will be dismantled and salvaged. McPeak Roofing will handle the mansion roofing, with Midland Construction taking on the other elements. Work is expected to continue through June.

To mark the long-awaited beginning of restoration, Lewis-Clark Early Childhood Program is holding an informal gathering at the “cottage” next door to (east of) the mansion from noon to 1 p.m. on May 21. Agency board members, Hergesheimer and representatives from the nonprofit “Friends of the Mansion” group will be on hand. The general public is invited; snacks and refreshments will be available.  

The Morrison Foundation’s match challenge was designed to demonstrate community support for Hurlbut Mansion’s restoration. The agency held a raffle last fall, and enlisted support from regional organizations, including Swift Charities, Inc., U.S. Bancorp Foundation, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc., and other businesses. The agency reached the $20,000 goal in April, and the grant was awarded shortly thereafter.

Individual contributions played a pivotal role in the campaign, with donations ranging from a few dollars to thousands of dollars each. The agency has a “Put Your Name in the History Bricks” initiative, allowing individuals, families, businesses and other groups to inscribe a brick with their name or other choice of words. A single, red brick can be purchased for $50, and a large, black paver with gold lettering is available for contributions at the $5,000 level, with several options in between.

“We couldn’t do this alone,” Hergesheimer said. “We want this building to be a place the whole community can use and enjoy, so we’re thrilled at how the community has stepped up and supported the project, volunteering their time and donating. We want to keep it going.”

Upon restoration, the mansion will be an innovative, new early childhood education center, the Kirtland Cutter Center for Development and Education. The historic building — it was designed by architect Kirtland Cutter in 1906, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places — will also be available to the public to use for weddings, receptions, art exhibits, conferences, open houses, guided tours and other special events.

The next phases of the project include pouring a new, concrete foundation for the porch, then putting the restored columns back up and replacing the second-story deck. Lewis-Clark Early Childhood Program is asking for the community’s support to help meet the fundraising goals for that phase of work.

We hope you’ll stop by on May 21. And if you’d like to keep the work going, your tax-deductible donation is greatly appreciated — you can make a donation here, or you can order your very own “history brick” here, inscribed with your choice of words. Thanks for your support!

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