Woodworking school sets up shop at Fort Worden landmark building

PORT TOWNSEND — The Old Power House at Fort Worden State Park is again creating a buzz — but now it’s caused by woodworking rather than by electricity or Army dispatches.

For the first 30 years of its existence, the rectangular concrete building housed machines that produce electricity for the buildings around it.

As World War II approached, the generators were removed, and the building was turned into a communications center, a hub of wires connecting the Army post to the world.

For the past two months, three Port Townsend woodworkers — Lawson, Jim Tolpin and John Marckworth — have overseen the transformation of the Old Power House generator room into the main classroom for their newest project, the Port Townsend School of Woodworking.

“After we put the sign up, a lot of people walking by saw it and wondered about it,” Tim Lawson said.

But the woodworkers don’t want to change things too much.

“We’re interested in preserving the historic integrity of the building, and wanting to do that ourselves,” Tolpin said.

Because of its acoustic qualities, the boiler room had already been converted to a recording studio, but the generator room had been relegated to paint storage when the three woodworkers first saw it.

That was last November, when they were renting space in the state park’s Seminar Building for lectures and demonstrations as a way of seeing if the idea for a woodworking school would float.

More in News

Overnight closures of Hood Canal Bridge begin Tuesday

The Hood Canal Bridge will be closed to vehicles, bicyclists… Continue reading

David Conklin/Jefferson County Farmers Markets
Heath Wade enjoys opening day at the Chimacum Farmers Market in 2022.
Chimacum Farmers Market opens Sunday

Special events planned for first day of season

tsr
Crumb family funds nursing scholarship

$150K endowment to aid Clallam County students going to St. Martin’s University

KEITH THORPE/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
The Port Angeles Red Lion Hotel and adjoining 48º North Waterfront Restaurant, shown Friday, are working on plans to expand and upgrade the current facilities, which will include incursion into the existing parking lot -- a proposal that would have an effect on the annual Port Angeles Crab Festival.
Port Angeles city seeks Red Lion expansion comments

Plans won’t affect CrabFest this year but will in future

Kestner Homestead Trail footbridge to be closed for repairs

The footbridge over Kestner Creek along the Kestner… Continue reading

KEITH THORPE/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
Gov. Jay Inslee  looks at a patient simulator as Peninsula College nursing instructional technician Terresa Taylor describes its workings during a tour of the college's Nursing Simulation Lab on Friday in Port Angeles.
Inslee tours Port Angeles projects

Town ‘pumping on all cylinders,’ he said

EYE ON THE PENINSULA: Serenity House, Jefferson burn ban on county agendas

Govenment meetings across North Olympic Peninsula

NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week

A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories… Continue reading

Most Read