East of Bellingham, the tiny community of Van Zandt has completed a goal to restore the 1927 schoolhouse serving as their Community Hall. This building hosts the local KAVZ-LP radio station and other programs of the South Fork Valley Community Association, as founding member Jeff Margolis explains.
“We actually have in our possession one of the desks from that school, which will probably be part of the historical exhibit that we’re going to have,” says Margolis. “The school system was consolidated in 1951. And at that time, the school in Van Zandt was decommissioned 75 years ago. Kids went to school in Acme or Deming, but not in Van Zandt.”
The community’s 2024 effort to crowdfund $100,000 in repairs and secure an additional $400,000 in public funding has realized the Association’s long-term mission of maintenance.
“In the early 90s, we raised about $65,000 and put that into a fund with the Whatcom Community Foundation,” says Margolis. “We could use the interest that accrued on that fund for various projects over the years. And so, this actually represents 75 years of voluntary cooperation. This is a real credit to this community.”
Restoration Takes a Village
Whatcom County Council, Parks and Recreation, and the Community Foundation have managed the full restoration after South Fork Valley has replaced paint, septic systems, and electrical wiring.
“We had been doing all this work for decades, improving the building in a very piecemeal manner,” says Margolis. “By 2018 or 2019, we had seen that the building was going to be 100 years old. And we could envision the celebratory nature of that event.”
King Architecture and Summit Construction have overseen construction.
“We are so close to the finish line, it has gone beautifully,” says Margolis. “Construction began, or deconstruction began, in early August. It was forecasted that we would be done by the end of January. And indeed, we are, and it’s all gone marvelously. The hall looks great. We’ve expanded the size of the hall for storage. There is a new entry. There are three points of ingress and egress. And that changes our ability to change the occupancy rate from close to 50 to now at least 100. So, it makes it more feasible for us to serve the community in a greater capacity. It’s a beautiful building.”
Reopening the Community Hall
South Fork Valley Community Association has facilitated activities both inside the Community Hall and outside at Josh VanderYacht Memorial Park, two acres they dedicated in 2000.
“We pay all the bills, we pay insurance, we provide indoor and outdoor lavatories,” says Margolis. “We keep a calendar of events. You may want to have a wedding, or let’s say you expect too many people at your Thanksgiving dinner. So, we rented for private rentals. We also put on public events. Oftentimes, we will have a New Year’s party. It may be a potluck a little before Thanksgiving. We have what is called third Thursday. Third Thursday is an open mic. You can make music, we have a grand piano, and we have an excellent sound system. On Sundays, we have what’s called ‘third place.’ This is a time from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., where people can drop in. They may bring cookies or cake and have coffee. Another event that we have regularly is the Poetry Cafe, which takes place on third Thursday, usually around November 11.”
These activities and more will be back on track this year.
“We plan on a grand opening on Friday, April 10 at 3 p.m.,” says Margolis. “That will be a prelude to a week of special activities. The activities are likely to be a history forum, a photo exhibition, a potluck, and a boogie.”
The Van Zandt State of Mind
Van Zandt’s dream became a reality with the support of enthusiastic volunteers over the past year.
“Were there not community support for it, it couldn’t happen,” says Margolis. “When we went to ask for money from people, we were trained by a local resident who is a bona fide fundraising professional. She donated her time to teach us how not to burn rubber and the best method for being successful in fundraising. Of course, there are those of us who have shown up every week. Since this project has begun, we have developed a cadre of volunteers to help move it all along because you just don’t go to meetings.”
The South Fork Valley Community Association updates readers on the April reopening on their website and Facebook.
“What we are building is community coherence, for giving people a sense of place,” says Margolis. “For the last 75 years of providing a place for people in eastern Whatcom County, our footprint has expanded because of the reach of the radio station. The radio station reaches Kendall and Nugent’s Corner. What we say is that Van Zandt is a state of mind. Van Zandt is just a curve in the road. But people resonate to the sound of Van Zandt.”
