CHIMACUM — An area of spiritual significance to native people has been added to the Washington State Register of Historic Places.
Tamanowas Rock, located on a 82.4-acre parcel about 10 miles south of Port Townsend, has been added to the register.
The move is the first step toward a similar designation by the federal government.
“This has been a site of cultural importance for a very long time,” said Sarah Spaeth, director of conservation and strategic partnerships for the Jefferson Land Trust, which purchased the land in 2010 and resold it to the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe in December 2013.
“Because of its uniqueness it is a place where lots of people have visited over the years,” Spaeth said.
For the S’Klallam people, Tamanowas Rock in Chimacum is hallowed ground that has been used by native people “since time immemorial” for spiritual vision quests, according to a news release.
The rock is a unique geological formation — an immense monolith with caves, crevices and cliffs.
The property was privately owned until it was purchased for $600,000 by the Jefferson County Land Trust.
The owner had put the land up for sale with the possibility of developing it into home sites, Spaeth said.
The land trust borrowed the money and held the land until it could be purchased by the tribe.
The land trust retained an adjacent conservation easement which will protect the surrounding area against development, Spaeth said.
The recognition process began with an application to the National Park Service for an historic preservation grant.
That grant funding enabled cultural resources specialist Gideon Cauffman to research, survey and map the site, and complete an eligibility application for the State Heritage Register, the first step before moving to the National Register.
In May, the Governor’s Advisory Council on Historic Preservation recognized Tamanowas Rock on the Washington Heritage Register of Historic Places where it joins more than 1,800 other properties recognized for historical or cultural contributions, Allyson Brooks, state historic preservation officer, wrote to the tribe.
According to the letter, the benefits of state and national register listings include potential tax credits, property tax deductions and code waivers to protect the integrity of the resource.
In addition, the listing assures protective review of a property if a federal or state action has the potential to adversely effect to the property’s historic values.
A list of allowed, conditional and prohibited activities is posted at the site, including prohibitions of camping, fires, firearms and off-road vehicles.
Leanne Jenkins, Jamestown S’Klallam planning director, said she did not expect the designation would affect the number of visitors to the site.
She did not have numbers of visitors available.
Trails to Tamanowas Rock are accessible at Milepost 1 on Anderson Lake Road.
The park is open only during daylight hours.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
