New future sought for Palmer's history

PALMER -- Palmer's historical treasures hearken back to a time when the city's small collection of close-knit families shared each other's assets and benefits. They counted their blessings by simply gathering in a central location for companionship, celebration and fun.

What better way, then, to create enthusiasm for these same treasures than to emulate those simple gatherings of bygone days?

Such was the theory of the Matanuska Cultural and Historical Project in putting together an event to drum up support for its cause, namely, the preservation of the Matanuska Maid warehouse building and other historic structures around the city. Live music, free ice cream, activities, videos and slide shows featuring Palmer colonists and their children, and a bona-fide Valley dairy cow were only a few of the attractions the project rolled out during its Friday gathering at the Palmer train depot.

"This is an idea whose time has come," said David Holladay, who organized the event. "We have over two dozen people devoting hundreds of hours to our project, and more are joining as we speak."

Holladay and his associates have worked for months to encourage the preservation of the historic Mat-Maid property. They've registered as a nonprofit with the state of Alaska and are pursuing federal 501(c)3 status.

This organization has come a long way from its humble beginnings -- a handful of local artists and activists huddling in the basement of the Palmer Moose Lodge during cold February evenings last winter. Now, with many more backers and a much clearer plan, the nonprofit's future seems much brighter.

Mike Chmielewski, a Democratic candidate for Alaska House District 13 and one of the charter members of the project, said one of the group's primary objectives is to ensure that the building not go the way so many others have gone.

Chmielewski said several attempts have already been made to save the historic Palmer building from a descent into ruin, but all have fallen short. Nevertheless, he said he believed the time was ripe to take action. "This is the centerpiece of our project, and it's really catalyzed by the fact that the building is in such a needy state," he said.

The Mat-Maid warehouse has had a particularly troubled past. Abandoned for a time prior to 2000, Heritage Properties LLC, subsequently acquired it in an agreement stipulating, among other things, the removal of asbestos from the building and the fulfillment of certain historical covenants.

Following this transfer was a period of public concern and activism against Heritage because it had not improved or used the property. These feelings were aggravated by the destruction of the adjoining co-op building and warehouse by fire on the afternoon of Feb. 4, 2003.

Three Palmer juveniles were charged in relation to the fire. Holly Rudder, 15, and Matthew Brass, 14, were convicted in December in juvenile court on a misdemeanor charge of failure to control a fire and sentenced to one year of probation, according to state Division of Juvenile Justice records. A third teen, Nathanael Row, 14, was convicted in juvenile court in September and later sentenced to probation for his role. The three originally were charged with first-degree arson, a felony. Fire investigators said the teens started the blaze by burning paper in an upper loft.

Now, the Department of Natural Resources' Board of Agriculture and Conservation has taken matters into its own hands, and is seeking to foreclose on the property.

Any action taken by the Historical Project in breathing life back into the Mat-Maid building will therefore have to wait until its legal issues are resolved.

Holladay said he's optimistic that the state will gain possession of the building, and believes he has the support of both John Torgerson with DNR and Palmer Mayor Jim Cooper.

"I'm hopeful that the state will be able to wrest the property away from Heritage and see the huge amount of community support we have for this project," Holladay said.

Plans for the building are hardly static; the group is considering a theater, an auditorium, a museum, an art gallery, a public meeting space or any number of other possibilities.

"It all depends on what the community wants," said Holladay. "We definitely want to be community-minded about this."

And the community has responded. The group handed out hundreds of flyers at the recent Colony Days parade, and was soon besieged by calls from local residents asking for more flyers to hand out to their friends.

"Fortunately, this idea resonated with many other people," said Chmielewski.

Holladay said his group's plans wouldn't infringe on any existing Palmer institutions. Rather, one of the group's central philosophies is the transfer of economic and tourism interests back to the city.

"We'd like to make the area much more attractive for businesses with this," he said. "Right now the tour buses just stop here for half an hour and then they're gone."

Holladay said a local theater, museum, or art space could attract more visitors to Palmer -- visitors who could then be directed to local stores and institutions.

Contact Daniel Spoth at daniel.spoth@frontiersman.com.