Work on the long-awaited first phase of the Yeomalt cabin rehabilitation project is under way this week.
Quilcene-based house mover Jeff Monroe will be lifting the Depression-era log structure using steel bands wrapped through its windows to hold its loosely secured logs in place. Keeping the structure from shifting will be the most difficult part of the operation, Monroe said.
“It’s kind of like picking up a dumped over bowl of spaghetti,” Monroe said.
Once suspended, the cabin will be slid gently away from its towering stone fireplace and chimney.
Logs at the base of the cabin will be replaced and refitted by a log specialist. New footings will be poured, and the cabin’s floor will be raised to meet accessibility standards. The cabin will also get new windows and a fresh shake roof.
Monroe will correct the slight lean in the chimney before the cabin is slid back into place.
Bainbridge Metropolitan Park and Recreation District Executive Director Terry Lande said work on the cabin’s exterior will continue through the fall.
“We hope to have it buttoned up and dry before the real winter hits,” Lande said.
This spring, the Park Board authorized reconstruction of the cabin to commence in two phases. The first phase was expected to begin early in the summer but was delayed by contract negotiations. This week the park district was still determining which contractor would complete log work on the cabin.
A second phase of work, which will commence when funding is secured, will renovate the cabin’s interior.
The campaign to restore the historic Boy Scout camp has been rolling since 2005, when the park district considered dismantling the cabin, which was deemed a safety hazard.
Team Yeomalt, the community group spearheading fundraising for the restoration work, has raised roughly $230,000.
Contributions for the project can be sent to “Yeomalt Cabin Fund” c/o BI Park Foundation, POB 10010, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110. For more information about contributing contact Jerry Elfendahl at 842-4164, or Bainbridge Parks Foundation at 780-6907.
