Lakeview Schoolhouse teacher’s cottage comes back to life

Even the horses seemed excited about what was happening on the Southeast 68th Street property on the afternoon of July 20.

As more and more people strolled by the barn at the Mercer Island Saddle Club and Pony Club toward the gathering taking place near the shiny claret-colored teacher’s cottage, the equines poked their heads out of their stables and supplied some extra neighs for the day’s soundtrack.

The historic cottage, which was built in tandem with the Lakeview Schoolhouse on the grounds in 1918, caught fire in 2018. On July 20, it rose from the proverbial ashes with a grand reopening ceremony following a robust restoration effort, titled “Care for the Cottage.” About 100 individuals, families, businesses and organizations donated a total of $200,000 for the restoration and remodeling of the beloved abode that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A caretaker will reside in the cottage and look after the barn and Sunnybeam School, a preschool that was opened in 1957 in the old Lakeview building. Lakeview students in grades 1-8 merged into the Mercer Island School District’s new buildings upon its formation in 1941. Sunnybeam is operated on the property along with the saddle and pony clubs, the Pioneer Park Youth Club (PPYC) and The Children’s Dance Conservatory of Mercer Island.

After asking everyone at the event to, fittingly, gather in a horseshoe formation, Lisa Thompson, a member of the PPYC board of directors, told the crowd: “It took four years of blood, sweat, tears and begging in order to complete the project, but we’re thrilled to say that, literally, (with) Gary Redman — who is the lead contractor on the job — today we finished the job and we’re open for business.”

Thompson hailed a quartet of cottage committee members who each volunteered more than 200 hours (some close to 1,000 hours) and raised more than $125,000 on the project: the tenacious Jennifer Brenes, public relations and fundraising expert Caroline Bombar-Kaplan, architect and interior designer Suzanne Zahr and landscaper Faith Kalucki.

“Today is a celebration of all the volunteers, community organizations, businesses and individuals that donated their time and opened their wallets to help us complete this project and save this Island gem,” said Thompson, who also thanked Mayor Salim Nice for cutting the ribbon and speaking at the event and former mayor Benson Wong for breaking ground on the project in May of 2021.

Following Thompson’s speech, Saddle Club junior board members Ava Clarkson, Truwe Perbix and Kaitlyn York unveiled a new bench adjacent to donor pavers and under an immense tree. A plaque mounted on the bench reads: “PIONEER PARK YOUTH CLUB; Where children thrive; Green space counts; And histories are preserved.” The committee hopes that when people come to the area that they spend a moment in the serene surroundings.

Nice said that the committee should be proud of its work and persistence in restoring the cottage, which joins the VFW hall as the only two Island buildings cataloged on the National Register of Historic Places.

“Raising funds, sourcing materials and working together as a team has been especially difficult during the pandemic. The results are a testament to those of you that have spent the time, did the work, wrote the checks and put in the effort,” he said.

Zahr said that everyone was pleased to be involved in the collaborative restoration, which featured the preservation of the historic context of the exterior portion of the building. On the interior, they optimized the floor plan for versatility for generations to come.

“Lakeview School is one of the few in Washington state that preserved or tried to keep their teacher’s cottages,” Zahr told the crowd. “History is important, and the fact that we’re able to bring back to life a piece of history, not just for Mercer Island but for the state, I think is pretty significant.”

Restored Lakeview Schoolhouse teacher’s cottage ribbon cutting on July 20: From left to right, Caroline Bombar-Kaplan, Deputy Mayor David Rosenbaum, Suzanne Zahr, Mayor Salim Nice, Gary Redman, Lisa Thompson, Faith Kalucki, former mayor Benson Wong and Jennifer Brenes. Andy Nystrom/ staff photo