The Joseph Borst House is an historic residence located in Centralia, Washington at the confluence of the Chehalis and Skookumchuck rivers. The home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1977.
The -story, Greek Revival home was constructed beginning in 1856 for Joseph Borst and family, early pioneers in the Chehalis Valley and present-day Centralia. The Borst's built up their homestead to include a blockhouse, ferry, hotel, store, and an early school. A barn, noted for its size, was built in 1861 and remained operational until it was demolished in 1969 due to weather damage.
The family lived on the grounds into the early 1900s. The home and surrounding land was purchased by the city in two separate transactions in the 1920s and 1950s. Further acreage was given to Centralia for use as a park, donated by Borst descendants. The city attempted to sell the home in 1955 but due to community protest, the building was saved and became part of the Fort Borst Park complex, remaining under Centralia ownership. Outside of the Borst House, no original outbuildings remain on the grounds.
The Borst residence is mostly unaltered and noted for architectural features such as a large front porch and balcony, original clapboard siding, and Gothic Revival window casements. A kitchen addition matches the main structure. The interior layout is simple, containing a steep staircase with noticeable wear and tear after decades of use. Notable details include a large soapstone fireplace, opulent marble baseboards in the parlor, and original woodwork. The home has been a public historic site and museum since the late-1980s, overseen by volunteer efforts. Several personal items from the Borst family are displayed in the house.
The grounds contain an arboretum, remnants of a children's graveyard, and several monuments and plaques. A pioneer replica village, containing a church, one-room schoolhouse, and an interactive museum, was begun in the 1990s and expanded in the early 21st century.
History Construction and early residence The historic pioneer home of the Borst family was completed approximately in 1857 or 1858 on a Donation Land Claim. Built by carpenter Jacob Ort and taking almost two years, other structures were added to the lands, including a barn in 1861. The Borst claim became known as Fort Borst, containing a hotel, store, and warehouse; a school for local children began in 1868. A cable ferry landing existed at the homestead, shuttling people over the Skookumchuck River to continue travels onwards to Tumwater and Olympia over what was then called Military Road, or the original path of the Cowlitz Trail. Prior to the American Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant and first governor of the Washington Territory, Isaac Stevens dined at the Borst home. Additional visitors included other military men of note, including George A. Custer, Phillip Sheridan and William T. Sherman.
Several myths exist about the construction and purpose of the historic home. One legend states that Joseph, after his wife Mary Adeline accepted his offer of marriage, pledged to build her a large, white mansion. Another story mentions that Mary would only agree to a wedding engagement if a promise of a grand home was offered first. An additional narrative states that the house was constructed to give Mary a sense of permanence after her and her family moved often in her youth. Documentation supports that Joseph began construction in late-1856, the family living in a blockhouse on the grounds in the interim. Known as the Fort Borst Blockhouse, the fortification was built in 1856. The Borsts later moved into what was known as the "Coats Store", a relocated, fully inventoried merchandise store next to the blockhouse; Joseph purchased the building in nearby Skookumchuck. The mansion, after completion, was declared "one of the most handsome along the road from Vancouver to Steilacoom.
20th century and historical preservation
The grounds of the Borst homestead was used as an airport in the early 1900s. The first such airstrip in the county, aircraft no longer used the Borst property after the 1928 opening of the Chehalis–Centralia Airport. A racecar track, which also served as an equestrian center, existed on the property until 1965.
By 1915, the Coats Store had been demolished and the hotel moved into the city for use as a residence. The city of Centralia purchased the Borst house and a surrounding in 1921 for $30,000; the family was allowed to continue to live at the home. After their children grew into adulthood, Joseph and Mary Borst moved into another extravagant home in Centralia, leasing the original homestead during their retirement. One of their sons donated of the land claim to the city of Centralia in 1922, the grounds becoming Fort Borst Park.
By the 1950s, both the historic home and barn were reported to be either in excellent condition or in disrepair. In July 1953, the city outright purchased the home and another surrounding the residence for $20,000. By October, the house and grounds were being considered as a location for a county museum and "historical center".
In February 1955, the city proposed selling the property in full for $20,000. The grounds were planned to be converted into a new neighborhood. Protests followed which led to a March open house after the city created a public ballot to determine the sale of the home; the event attracted more than 1,200 people. A public vote saved the Borst site by a 3-to-1 ratio; despite the vote, the house and outbuildings were reported to remain in poor shape.
Since the 1955 purchase, the home remained unchanged and the city provided standard maintenance. Restoration fundraising efforts were begun in March 1963 to repair damages caused by the Columbus Day storm of 1962. By June, only $400 of the necessary $3,000 had been raised. The barn, massive in size and admired within the region, was used to house grain and livestock. The outbuilding remained in working order until it was condemned, finally demolished in November 1969 due to severe, irreparable damages from the Columbus Day storm. Pieces of the structure were sold to raise money for the city's park department. At the time of the Borst House's addition to the National Register of Historic Places, no outbuildings remained on the property.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the home was used as a caretaker residence; by 1983, the house was occupied by the city's parks and recreation director. In the late 1980s, Centralia began efforts to protect the home as an historic site. Management and upkeep fell mostly on volunteer efforts. Despite the historical nature of the Joseph Borst House, vandalism remained a threat into the next century and 2010s.
Joseph Borst and family
Joseph Borst, and his wife Mary Adeline (Roundtree), were among the earliest non-indigenous settlers in the Chehalis Valley. Joseph was born in 1822 in Schoharie County, New York, migrating to what was then the Oregon Territory in 1845 along with Judge Sidney Ford and family, of Fords Prairie note. After building a small cabin on Ford's claim, he served in a militia after the Whitman Massacre and temporarily prospected for gold in California and British Columbia between 1848 and 1851. He returned to the valley in 1851. Mary Adeline and her family settled in Gray's Harbor after they began a trail journey from Illinois in 1852.
The two met in 1854 after Joseph came to the Roundtree's homestead and sawmill on the Black River looking to purchase lumber. They married later that same year, settling in Joseph's original cabin on his claim. In 1855, the Borst's and their first daughter moved to Fort Henness in Grand Mound during the Puget Sound War; they stayed for approximately 16 months. During their stay, Joseph had the historic Fort Borst Blockhouse constructed for $500, originally as use to store grain. The blockhouse has been moved several times due to concerns over the changing course of the Chehalis and Skookumchuck rivers; the first relocation was in 1915. For brief times the structure was located off the Borst claim and within Centralia. It was permanently moved back to the land claim as part of Fort Borst Park.
The Borst's eventually had a total of nine children and their landholdings grew to encompass hundreds of acres in such locales as Adna, the valley in Boistfort, and as far away as Ellensburg. Joseph died on October 29, 1885; Mary followed decades later on February 12, 1920, at the age of 81.
Geography The Joseph Borst House is situated on a flat parcel on the north bank of the Chehalis River in the community of Fords Prairie. The home is also directly west of the river's junction with the Skookumchuck River. The land is considered to be a part of the city of Centralia. A remnant of the Borst land claim is used as Fort Borst Park, with the house and detached structures part of the recreational site. The homestead was located on the Cowlitz Trail and was a stop for travelers during early settler migration.
The home, at times referred to as a mansion, is located on Bryden Avenue and the main entrance faces east. The Chehalis River is located directly south with a modern-type detached garage and sheds located to the rear of the home. A metal maintenance shed, at a further distance to the west, is situated on grounds that once contained the Borst barn.
Architecture and features
Unless otherwise noted, the details provided are based on the 1977 National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) nomination form and may not reflect updates or changes to the Joseph Borst House in the interim.
The Joseph Borst House is a , wood-frame residence. A kitchen addition sits to the rear, or west side, of the home. The gable roof over the original core is steeply pitched, oriented in a north-to-south direction. Timber posts, hewed, make up the foundation. The home is considered to be styled in Greek Revival architecture. With
Exterior
The exterior is sheathed in thick fir planks, oriented vertically. Installed with wooden pegs, original flush-board siding protects the front and east portions of the exterior walls. Clapboard siding, consider most likely to be non-original, exists on the remaining sides and rear, as well as the kitchen addition. Ends of the siding and corner boards were reported to have been dipped in white, lead paint to ensure protection against water intrusion and rot. The exterior is known for its white paint and green trim.
The chief carpenter was Jacob Ort, a German settler. A Danish man, whose name is now unknown, was responsible for the interior carpentry. Timber for the construction was sourced from Tumwater; window casings and hardware were reported to come from San Francisco.
Notable features include trimmed box cornices with returns and corner boards with pilaster caps. An extensive frieze at the soffit is trimmed in molding and according to the NRHP form, provides added "dignity and style to the mansion". The most prominent feature is the shed roof front porch. Originally a much larger balcony, it was altered by Borst's grandson, Joseph, in the 1930s; the alteration is suspected due to deterioration. The covered porch is supported by square posts to house a triangular entablature and a second-story balustrade deck. A similar, but smaller type porch is located at the kitchen addition entrance though it lacks a second story deck.
The front door is recessed and is flanked by sidelights and crowned with a transom. Window casements, or fenestrations, are simple, six-over-six sashes; original glazing was still noted at the time of the NRHP nomination. The window style, considered Gothic Revival is consistent around the structure, including the kitchen addition. Once a universal detail on the home, green louver shutters containing cut nails and hand-wrought hinges remained around two windows at the rear of the historic structure.