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Business & Tech

Historical House in Lakewood is Up For Sale

Boatman-Ainsworth, the oldest private structure in Lakewood, is hosting an open house for the public.

It is not often that history is up for sale. This is one of those times.

The historic Boatman-Ainsworth house, the oldest private structure in Lakewood, is up for sale after the death of its resident and the subdivision of the estate. An open house is set for Sunday from 1-4 p.m. with hopes that a preservation-minded family will claim it.

Willis Boatman built the house with his bare hands in 1859. The house is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a federal-era farmhouse. The previous resident was a Washington pioneer. The Oregon Trail survivor was friendly with the local Native American tribes, and in turn, was alerted to the first attacks of the Indian War of 1854-56. His farmhouse was spared while others were burned to the ground.

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Boatman sold the property to John Ainsworth, founder of the Oregon Steam Navigation Co. in 1878. Ainsworth eventually sold the property to Walter Thompson, a local financier and founding member of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce. He also served in both the House and Senate of the Territorial Legislature.

The house remains remarkably intact. The farmhouse offers a covered porch, a large formal parlor and the original Carrera marble fireplace and 100-year-old millwork. Given the property's historic designation, expenditures directly associated with restoration of the Boatman-Ainsworth house may qualify for significant property tax credits, although the house is not on the Lakewood Registry of Historical Places because of the pending sale.

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There is also an effort to subdivide that property, but that move has been determined by the city’s historical staff to not affect the site’s historical significance.

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