 |
Ed Mork would be proud of his grandson.
In addition to working for Millwood’s primary employer, the Inland Empire Paper Co., Mork served for years on the Millwood Town Council. He was there in 1957, three decades after the town incorporated, when the municipal government moved the site of its regular meeting from the paper mill to a sparkling new building a few blocks to the north.
These days, Dan Mork occupies the mayor’s office in that same building on East Frederick Road. A picture of his grandfather from 1948, at the paper mill’s annual picnic in Liberty Lake, adorns a wall just down from City Council chambers.
 |
Millwood Mayor Dan Mork is pictured in front of the recently renovated Millwood City Hall building, a structure that opened in 1957. The upgrade, which included new carpet, window treatment and lighting fixtures, totaled just under $43,000.
Photo by: Craig Howard |
Last year, when Mayor Mork decided it was time for an update of City Hall, he listened to the advice of Bobbie Beese, a member of the Millwood Historical Society. Instead of opting for a modern or classical look, Beese recommended “keeping the integrity of the building intact.”
Any changes, Beese said, should respect the original architectural design built in a style known as “Mid-Century Modern.” Popularized by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the late 1940s, the approach emphasized horizontal lines and innovative use of glass and concrete. The Millwood Town Hall building, with its mahogany paneling, low ceilings and rows of parallel windows, characterized a fashion that is now making a comeback in modern architectural circles, Beese said.
“I think it’s kind of a special building,” she said.
The mayor agreed.
“At first, I thought we should make it look more modern, but it made sense to preserve the character of the original design,” Mork said. “If I would have designed it, it would have looked like any other contemporary office building.”
The structure itself was designed by the architectural firm of Eddy, Carlson and James, a Spokane-based company that also worked on projects like the student center at Spokane Falls Community College and several buildings on the campus of Eastern Washington University.
Work on the City Hall renovation started last October. Spokane-based Design Works handled the layout, incorporating carpet, window treatment and lighting fixtures that blended with features already in place.
“They understood the importance of maintaining the look of a certain era,” Mork said.
Tile replaced carpet in certain high-traffic areas. A seldom used meeting room was converted into a space that will pay tribute to Millwood’s past and promote aspects of the town’s commerce and culture.
While many trademarks of the building – like the vintage 1960s nameplates and space-age, spherical lights in the lobby – remain, others, like the wood paneling in the same area, fell under a list of alterations.
“I really wish they would have kept the original paneling,” Beese said. “But at least they kept the same, general style.”
The aesthetic overhaul is the latest in a series of changes to Millwood’s municipal hub since Mork took office as mayor in January 2006. A new speaker system and projector were added in Mork’s first year to, as he put it, “improve the level of communication for our citizens.”
New tables and chairs for the council chambers are scheduled to arrive soon. An open house for the redesigned City Hall will be held Monday, May 4, from 5 to 7 p.m., prior to the monthly City Council meeting.
|
|
By
Craig Howard
