UNIONTOWN, Wa.—Community volunteers had to remove 50 years worth of pigeon poop, decades of broken farm equipment and several layers of cement flooring before they could start to convert a 1935 dairy barn into an artisan center.
The two-year barn overhaul was part of the Uniontown Community Development Association’s (UCDA) project that involved 35-40 people “getting together to move the town forward,” local volunteer Sam Kimble said. The project was designed in-part to attract more people to the town, which has fewer than 500 residents, but is only about 15 minutes from Pullman, Lewiston, Clarkston and Moscow.
Resident artists Steve & Junette Dahmen donated the unused barn to the town in 2004. Artist Franceen Hermanson said the Dahmens wanted the community to use the barn for the arts. She also said the Dahmens stipulated a condition that the town keep the surrounding antique-wheel fence that Steve Dahmen built over the last 20 years—a focal point of many local artisans' work.
Hermanson is one of 20 area artists who rent studios at the barn, which also hosts a store, classrooms and events like music and dancing.
“There is something going on there all the time,” She said.
Local Uniontown Community Club member Marvin Entel was the contractor on the barn project, and previously helped community members restore the 110-year-old Jacobs Brewery Building in the center of town in 2003. The Sage Bakery and Cafe moved into that building, which was also part of the UCDA’s revitalization project.
Uniontown history has had several periods of popularity and decline. It hosted a three-ring circus, had slot machines in the club in the 1940s, and had an opera house.
Uniontown firefighter and club member Gary Robinson said the club was on the verge of closing about five or six years ago, but “a lot of people stepped up and put money into it.”
Club President Gabriel Voller, who also volunteered on these projects and others, said locals meet at the club Monday-Wednesday mornings and the Sage Café Thursday-Sunday mornings.
Community Club members Robinson, Entel, Voller and others said that the community keeps Uniontown alive.
Contacts:
The two-year barn overhaul was part of the Uniontown Community Development Association’s (UCDA) project that involved 35-40 people “getting together to move the town forward,” local volunteer Sam Kimble said. The project was designed in-part to attract more people to the town, which has fewer than 500 residents, but is only about 15 minutes from Pullman, Lewiston, Clarkston and Moscow.
Resident artists Steve & Junette Dahmen donated the unused barn to the town in 2004. Artist Franceen Hermanson said the Dahmens wanted the community to use the barn for the arts. She also said the Dahmens stipulated a condition that the town keep the surrounding antique-wheel fence that Steve Dahmen built over the last 20 years—a focal point of many local artisans' work.
Hermanson is one of 20 area artists who rent studios at the barn, which also hosts a store, classrooms and events like music and dancing.
“There is something going on there all the time,” She said.
Local Uniontown Community Club member Marvin Entel was the contractor on the barn project, and previously helped community members restore the 110-year-old Jacobs Brewery Building in the center of town in 2003. The Sage Bakery and Cafe moved into that building, which was also part of the UCDA’s revitalization project.
Uniontown history has had several periods of popularity and decline. It hosted a three-ring circus, had slot machines in the club in the 1940s, and had an opera house.
Uniontown firefighter and club member Gary Robinson said the club was on the verge of closing about five or six years ago, but “a lot of people stepped up and put money into it.”
Club President Gabriel Voller, who also volunteered on these projects and others, said locals meet at the club Monday-Wednesday mornings and the Sage Café Thursday-Sunday mornings.
Community Club members Robinson, Entel, Voller and others said that the community keeps Uniontown alive.
Contacts:
Phone numbers available via email
Sam Kimble
Franceen Hermanson
Marvin Entel
Gary Robinson
Gabriel Voller
Artisans at the Dahmen Barn website
Uniontown website 1
Uniontown website 2
Sam Kimble
Franceen Hermanson
Marvin Entel
Gary Robinson
Gabriel Voller
Artisans at the Dahmen Barn website
Uniontown website 1
Uniontown website 2
Outline:
Lede: What they did-clean up barn
Who: community members
What: barn donated to be used as art studio and gallery- Artisan Barn
When: finished in 2006
Why: part of town revitalization project
Where: small town approximately 15 miles+/- from the quad cities, pop. fewer than 500
Who: community members
What: barn donated to be used as art studio and gallery- Artisan Barn
When: finished in 2006
Why: part of town revitalization project
Where: small town approximately 15 miles+/- from the quad cities, pop. fewer than 500
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