BANKS, Ore. — Drivers heading into Banks, Oregon are greeted by a welcome sign and a small map of the main street. It's a rural town in Washington County, easy to miss — and so is one of the oldest buildings in the area, the Wilkes House, situated along Dairy Creek.
“It belonged to the first pioneers who came out on the Oregon trail in 1845 and laid claim to this entire area here in 1847," said Jennifer Newton, communications managers for the Banks Historical Society.
Once home to Peyton and Anna Wilkes, Newton believes the grand farmhouse was built back in the early 1870's. But now, it's seemingly unused. The windows are boarded up and overgrown bushes and trees obscure a view of the house from the road.
City plans reveal the land around the house is slated for a 147-home private development and, if approved, the single acre where the Wilkes House sits will be up for municipal use. The historical society isn't opposed to the development overall — just the plan for that one acre.
"The plans that have been filed... for the owners to give this one acre of property around the house, with the house in it, to the city," Newton explained. "The city has plans to put a water treatment plant on it."
It's heartbreaking for Newton and the historical society, who have a vision for what the site could be.
“What we see is a beautiful shady city park in this little urban forest with a historical museum and cultural center," Newton explained. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for people to connect with their local community."
The group believes this slice of history could be a window into what some of the first settlers experienced in Oregon and how they interacted with members of the Atfalati Kalapuya tribe.
Newton and her team spoke during a June City Council meeting, expressing their need for support from the city and desire to save the building. But for the time being, it appears a decision like that is outside of the City's control.
"The City does not own the property or the Wilkes House and will not own the property until the West-side developer satisfies certain conditions in its Development Agreement and conveys the property to the City," Mayor Jennifer Stephanie Jones explained. "As we understand it, the property owner offered to give the structure to the local Historical Society for free so long as they move the building to another location. To our knowledge that has not happened."
Newton said after some research, the historical society came to believe that moving the house is not a viable option.
“Moving the house would not only damage its structural integrity to some extent, but it would also make it very difficult to get historic designation," she explained.
As the fate of the Wilkes House remains uncertain, Newton and the Banks Historical Society are asking the city and developers for help finding another solution.
“Try to help people just push the pause button on any demolition that could potentially occur here and say wait, 'What are our options? How do we preserve this house?'” Newton said.
KGW reached out to the development company but did not hear back Wednesday. KGW also visited Banks City Hall and talked with a spokesperson, who said the city plans to arrange a meeting with the historical society in the near future. There will most likely be a hearing about the development plan at a planning commission meeting later this month.
In the meantime, Newton and the other historical society members have launched a GoFundMe campaign to try to raise money to save the house.