If the walls of the Reard-Freed House could talk, there’s no telling what they would say.
But members of the Sammamish Heritage Society and the City of Sammamish found the next best thing in mid August.
While demolishing the siding in the kitchen of the 117-year-old house, volunteers found several old artifacts, including a single-shot .50 caliber Civil War era rifle.
“I think it kind of validates the historical significance of the house,” said Mary Moore, project manager with the Heritage Society. “It shows that there were families here and a lot of fun interesting things that were going on in the last century.”
Along with the gun, workers found a gin bottle that dated back to the 1930s, several fragmented magazines, an old book, empty pill bottles, a metal piggy bank and painted tray that was used in a child’s high chair.
Kevin Teague, who is leading the Reard-Freed project for the city, said it’s unclear how the items reached their resting spot in the home. He noted they may have been hidden there, but it’s likely that they slid down from an upstairs area referred to as the ballroom in early June when the home was moved from 212th Avenue Southeast to its new home at Southeast Eighth Street Park.
“There was a cavity between two slats,” Teague said. “Basically everything just fell out when the panel was removed.”
Teague said the rifle, which he identified as a single shot percussion carbine, Smith, was in fairly good condition. The firing hammer was broken off, but he believes it will be able to be restored.
Teague said the rifle looks very similar to one featured in the book, “Images of America – Issaquah Washington.” He said in one photo, a young boy is holding a very similar rifle. The caption to the photo reads, “from 1893 to 1904 Wilhelm and Sophia Goebel and their children had a farm northwest of Issaquah near Pine Lake.”
The city currently is holding on to all the artifacts before determining the next step. While Teague said the ultimate decision isn’t up to him, the items would look great on display.
“My hope would be to do minimal restoration and keep the rifle in the house,” he said.
Moore agreed.
“This was the first time we had really found anything that significant,” she said.
City authorizes external repairs
On Tuesday, the Sammamish City Council unanimously authorized exterior repairs to the Reard-Freed House. Those repairs include siding work, roof replacement and stabilization of lead based paint and exterior painting.
The work is not to exceed $48,000. There is $70,000 allocated in the Parks Capital Improvement Program for the projects.
