For decades the McGrath Hotel in North Bend was regarded by many locals as the center of the community,

where everyone went to dine, dance and socialize.

Although the building has undergone several changes through

the years, it still has its original shape and character.

No matter what changes occurred, the hotel is recognized as an

important part of North Bend’s history. From the early 1920s to the present,

different types of restaurants have been housed inside the café’s walls. And

the hotel, located at the corner of North Bend Way and Main Avenue North,

was popular for several decades until it closed in the 1950s.

Now, Valley residents Susan and Dale Sherman dream of making

this “Spanish revival” building a part of

the community once more. The couple bought the hotel in January and

plan on fully restoring the exterior to its original design, as well as

refurbishing several interior aspects.

“We’re basically starting from scratch,” Susan Sherman said,

explaining that besides design changes, the hotel’s utility systems are

undergoing improvements. The plumbing, wiring, and heating systems are being

replaced. In addition, an elevator will be installed and the whole structure

will be brought up to current earthquake codes.

The restoration should be complete and ready for tenant

occupation in late September or early October. The 3,000-square-foot restaurant

and 650-square-foot lobby will be leased out, along with retail space in the

back of the building. The old hotel rooms will be turned into leased office space.

During the last few weeks, workers gutted the hotel. With its

insides stripped away, the building has revealed tales of the past.

The café offers evidence of two fires that licked the ceiling and

walls but did not cause ultimate destruction. An artist’s mural of the nearby

mountains and delicate stenciling were found hidden under layers of paint

and wall finishing. And a peek-hole used during Prohibition now offers

a glimpse of the lobby’s reconstruction instead of locals coming through

the front door.

Back in 1922, the building started as a café built by Jack McGrath to

replace his first restaurant that burned down across the street. McGrath

had owned or managed hotels and restaurants in several states until

finding North Bend a desirable location.

Automobile tourism along the Sunset highway was increasing in

the early 1920s. North Bend was a popular stop — a gateway

between Snoqualmie Pass and the Sound.

Then in 1926, tourists had a place to stay when McGrath added a

two-story, 19-room and seven-bathroom hotel that was known as the largest

and most modern in the Valley, according to King County lore.

A fashionable ladies’ sitting room was built on the second floor and

all hotel rooms had sinks. Many rooms and the dining area have views

of Mount Si, Rattlesnake Ridge and the Cascades. The lobby has a

Craftsman-style fireplace with scenes of the Southwest carved into the brick.

Sherman pointed out that the building is significant to the

Valley’s history in many ways.

The hotel is located near the site of William H. Taylor’s cabin. In

1889, Taylor platted the original townsite of North Bend.

Also, the hotel embodies the area’s natural resources. The concrete

walls were mixed with Snoqualmie River rock and ceiling beams were

chiseled from first-growth fir.

In addition, the hotel was known for its elaborate neon signs in

the 1940s, the largest of which was 20 feet high and had to be supported by

beams on the roof.

“I think it’s one of the most important

historical preservation projects in rural King County”

Katheryn Kraft

Coordinator, Landmarks and Heritage Program

. “This will be a centerpiece for this area

and this street, and the public is going to be able

to come in and use this building like they used to.”

Many city officials are also looking forward to the hotel being

reconstructed.

“It’s exciting because it’ll add vitality to the downtown area. It

really is an asset,” Mayor Joan Simpson said.

Although the hotel will cost about $800,000 to restore, the

Shermans have some help.

Issaquah Bank of North Bend is financing the project. The

Shermans have applied for national historic recognition, which will give them a

one-time 20 percent tax credit _ which equals $160,000. And they have

also received help from the King County Landmarks and Heritage Program

in the form of design guidance and a 10-year special tax evaluation.

The McGrath structure is part of a downtown North Bend district

consisting of 19 buildings that has been nominated for historic designation,

to be decided at the end of this month. The designation would bring a

brown historic sign at highway exits that could bring in tourists.

“I have this philosophy: If you restore it, they will come. Tourists

will come,” Sherman said.

Historic designation would also bring a sense of pride to

residents, according to county officials.

“Our communities are changing rapidly, and having a sense of our

past is important to retain,” Kraft said. “Luckily we have property

owners willing to do just that.”

Susan Sherman got the hankering to restore old buildings when she

went back East and saw the tremendous amount of preserved history and

culture.

The Shermans also bought and restored a building in

downtown Snoqualmie, now called the Sherman Tile building. They said they have

developed a passion for refurbishing old structures.

“We take it very seriously,” Sherman explained. “Once you buy

a historic building, you have a civic responsibility to that community.

This should be something for everybody to enjoy.”

The Shermans are interested in gathering information on the

hotel’s past and encourage anyone with a story or information from

the structure’s glory days to call (425) 888-5775.