Deer Lagoon Grange Hall in Langley seeks support from community

She’s 107 years old and her bottom is bowing. It's not as if she's going to fall down...

By Patricia Duff • December 13, 2011 11:19 am
Chuck Prochaska stands on the maple floor of the Deer Lagoon Grange — made from salvaged wood from Fort Casey — in the historic building’s signature hall. Prochaska is leading an effort to raise funds to pay for needed repairs at the iconic South Whidbey gathering place.
Chuck Prochaska stands on the maple floor of the Deer Lagoon Grange — made from salvaged wood from Fort Casey — in the historic building’s signature hall. Prochaska is leading an effort to raise funds to pay for needed repairs at the iconic South Whidbey gathering place.

LONE LAKE — She’s 107 years old and her bottom is bowing.

It’s not as if she’s going to fall down, it’s just that Deer Lagoon Grange Hall needs a bit of a lift.

“The building really needs to be straightened and the trusses need to be reinforced,” said Grange member Chuck Prochaska.

That said, the venerable old building is safe, he added.

Prochaska is leading an effort to secure funds for necessary improvements to the hall, which is located on Bayview Road about a mile north of Bayview Corner.

“Our objective is to keep this structure in service to the community and to preserve its historic nature, while making the building more useful and functional to keep pace with the evolving needs of the community,” Prochaska said.

The total cost of the work is estimated to be $46,500, including contingency funds for cost increases and unanticipated problems.

Permits have already been acquired from the county and Prochaska has received at least $11,000 in pledges of support from community members, in addition to the support of all three branches of the Whidbey Island Bank, which will contribute an undisclosed amount to the project.

“We already have people stepping up,” Prochaska said, “but we need to reach out to the community because they are as interested in keeping the building in service as much as the Grange members.

“Once the work is done, it’ll probably be good for another 100 years.”


The Grange hall, which was designated an Island County historic building in 2008, has been a significant community center for more than 100 years.

The building has been home to the Norwegian Lutheran Church, Trinity Lutheran Church and the Veterans of World War I South Whidbey Barracks No. 1210, as well as Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and local 4–H Clubs.

The Grange has hosted events for U.S. Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson and state Sen. Jack Metcalf. Community meetings held there led to the acquisition of the ferry landing in Clinton and road signs which direct drivers to Langley, Clinton and Freeland.

Grange No. 846 began using the hall in 1935. Grange-sponsored events in years past included ice cream and pie socials, pancake breakfasts for fishermen on opening day of Lone Lake and gatherings for Whist and Pinochle tournaments.

Today the Grange is used by Southwest Christian Church Men’s Group, the South Whidbey Rock Club, Weight Watchers, various dance groups, literary evenings, performances and family celebrations.

The facility is also used for community classes on such topics as fruit tree management and bee keeping and the Back to Basics series, which aims to educate the public about the production, procurement, preparation and preservation of food, including livestock.

The facility also hosts the Grange’s collective food buying program, which allows members of the public and grangers to acquire good food at good prices, by combining their buying power and sharing transportation.

Prochaska said that all these important community events can continue if the hall is maintained.

“Deer Lagoon Grange is reaching out to the community to help us preserve and keep our building alive for the next century,” he said.

The major element that demands immediate attention, Prochaska said, is a roof structure support truss that must be replaced. Termites and dry rot caused a previous partial foundation failure.

A foundation upgrade is needed to approach current structural code and to repair wall and roof structure to its original geometry and functionality, he said.

“We’ll bring the building closer to code than it is,” he said.

Prochaska said that due to the historic nature of the building, most of the original structure and related structural design will be maintained. The exception will be the partial addition of concrete foundation with shear ties to replace the cedar rounds that have carried the structure since 1904. The replacement roof support truss will be of modern construction and will not affect the appearance of the building.

Flat Rock Productions of Langley has offered to render the upgrades for free and offer some design renderings for the future, which would improve entryways and other details.

“If we end up with more money, then potentially we could do some of the improvements that the rendering would show, but our main drive is to keep the building safe and do the basic improvements,” Prochaska said.

“We know the building won’t be available to us if we don’t do something now to fix it,” he added.

Donations can be made to the Grange Building Fund, PO Box 386, Freeland, WA  98249. Donations can also be made through the website at www.deerlagoongrange.com.