PORT ANGELES — When it comes to history, Port Angeles has a habit of keeping itself hidden in plain sight.
For instance, its fabled underground, formed when the hillsides were sluiced to fill in the tidelands that now make up downtown, created a hidden city under the sidewalks and storefronts, some of which still exists.
Yet, as about 100 people discovered Saturday, not all that remains hidden is below the surface.
In an attempt to encourage more people to live and work downtown, Port Angeles Downtown Association members and City Councilman Brad Collins led free guided tours of the second floors of some of the downtown’s oldest buildings.
There, on floors mostly vacant, visitors found architecture now missing from the ground-level storefronts, including antique lights and heavy wooden doors.
Tour-goers, many of whom came out of curiosity, said they were surprised by how much is hidden out of sight above the more familiar storefronts.
Tony Cook of Joyce called them “hidden treasures” of Port Angeles.
“Who would know that something is up there?” he said after the two-hour tour.
Some floors creaked and echoed as the visitors, dozens at a time, walked through hallways carrying that musky old-building smell, while other buildings, more recently renovated, appeared as new as any modern structure.
Building owners and tenants greeted the tours and touted the benefits of living or working in structures nearly as old as Port Angeles.
“We’re literally on the corner of everything that happens here,” said Greg Good, executive director of the North Olympic Land Trust.
The land trust has rented office space overlooking First and Laurel streets in the W. Morse Building for five years, he said.
Good also referred to the less obvious signs of the building’s history, including divots in the office’s kitchen floor made by the boots of loggers possibly visiting the dentist office once located there.
“Every time we walk into the kitchen, we get to see history right in front of us,” he said.
Old Annex Hotel
A few blocks away, tour-goers walked through dilapidated hallways that were once part of the Annex Hotel.
The top floor has been left untouched since it was condemned in the 1980s, except for the street-side rooms, which were renovated in 1999 and turned into offices.
Three small offices are vacant and going for $225 a month, said Summer Evert, daughter of the building’s owners.
While downtown housing remains in short supply, a few have been able to make cozy homes out of their top-story digs.
Sandy Elmelund, a hairdresser, has spent the past five years living and working in a studio apartment above Country Aire and Michael’s Seafood & Steakhouse.
While the building is 85 years old, the apartment appears brand-new and doesn’t lack modern comforts.
Elmelund said she was sold on the apartment as soon as she saw the view.
“This is the spot,” she said to herself after glancing out the north-side window overlooking Port Angeles Harbor.
Bob Lumens, a tour guide and downtown business owner, said he hopes the tours encourage people to give downtown a closer look when in need of a place to live or start a business.
“The more vibrant downtown is, the better it is for everyone,” he said.
But Lumens, owner of Northwest Fudge and Confections, acknowledged that the older buildings, particularly the second floors, have their downsides.
Heating can be an issue, he said, and some floors have a bit more wear than usual.
Parking also can be purchased by the few downtown residents.
Permitted spaces go for $15 a month, said downtown association Executive Director Barb Frederick.
Apartment space remains limited, with only one or two available, Frederick said.
For more information and to be put in touch with owners of buildings, phone the downtown association at 360-457-9614.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
