On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel speaks with Katherine Caffrey, City Manager of Des Moines, Washington, for an update on the Masonic Home of Washington and background on the recent history, including the owner's seeking of a demolition permit.

The Masonic Home - which has also more recently been known as "Landmark on the Sound" - is a sprawling hotel-like complex built in the 1920s south of Seattle as a retirement home for Freemasons; that is, members of that fraternal organization. After many years of sitting empty on a prominent piece of land near Puget Sound along Marine View Drive South, it’s likely that a demolition permit will be approved by the City of Des Moines later this week. The land and buildings are owned by a private developer called Zenith whose plans for the site have not been revealed.

City of Des Moines Masonic Home FAQ

https://www.desmoineswa.gov/departments/planning_and_building/plan_development/current_projects/key_messages_and_f_a_q

Background via the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation's List of Most Endangered Places

https://preservewa.org/most_endangered/masonic-home-washington/

Preservation/Demolition Permit Appeal Fundraising Campaign

https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-the-masonic-home-of-des-moines-support-our-appeal

Des Moines, WA City Council Meeting Details for August 7, 2025

https://www.desmoineswa.gov/workspaces/one.aspx?objectId=20806884&contextId=17555022

CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via SPACE 101.1 FM in Seattle and gallantly streams everywhere via www.space101fm.org. The radio station is located at historic Magnuson Park - formerly Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle.

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