A Piece of History about Lacey’s Lois McKinney House

lacey history
The Lois McKinney house, circa 1987
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By Justice Kreese, River Ridge High School intern

lacey history
Exterior of the Lois McKinney House, circa 1993

Have you ever noticed the little house across the street from the Lacey Community Center? It’s a tiny, run down house that’s been completely boarded up. There’s no obvious entrance and a “No Trespassing” sign is clearly posted. Yet at the same time, the house has been freshly painted and there are also City of Lacey signs posted around the property.

I wanted to investigate, so I checked out Google Maps. But guess what?  If you go on the site and look at it from street view you can only get a faraway side angle and when you try to zoom in the picture blurs so you can’t see anything. “Government experiments,” I thought. “Terrible, creepy things are happening in that building.”

But further inquiry revealed that lots of cities and military bases block out street views of specific bases or buildings for privacy. While this was interesting, it didn’t tell me anything new about the strange little house.

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The house, covered in graffiti, circa 2002

The Lacey Museum was a better resource for my questions. According to Lacey Museum Curator, Erin Quinn Valcho, that mysterious building is officially called The Lois McKinney House. The city purchased the Lois McKinney property, including the house and 17.56 acre lot, in 2001 for $350,000.  The City of Lacey also made a general request through Google Maps to block any buildings, including the house.

The house dates back to the 1930s when it was a resort. The resort had seven cabins for rent as well as a candy store, grocery store and  gas station. The McKinneys lived in the main building which is the only structure left standing.

The Lake Lois Park and Habitat Reserve is named after Lois McKinney.  The Habitat is on the same ground that the Lois Resort was on many years ago.

Alva D McKinney, Lois’ father passed away on November 29, 1935, just four years after buying the property and turning it in to a resort. Elva McKinney, Lois’s mother, passed away on December 24, 1962.  Both Elva and Lois were teachers at a nearby school.

lacey history
The Lois McKinney house, circa 1987

Just three years after Lois McKinney’s death on February 8, 1998, the City of Lacey bought the house and at that time about six of the cabins were standing.

In November 2011, the City rallied community volunteers to help clean out the house and in the process they found pictures and other things the family owned.

After everything I’ve read about the McKinney house I still had questions, such as why isn’t there more local history online about the family or a tour of the McKinney house. While those questions weren’t answered I drew my own conclusion.  The City of Lacey is currently working on cleaning the house up.  I hope that people will be permitted to research and explore this local history.

At the end of the day, I am happy knowing it isn’t some secret government experimental house.

Photos courtesy Lacey Museum

 

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