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Renton History Museum operated from 1979-2025. It was closed by an abrupt, privately-made decision by the city with no public input.
The City of Renton celebrates our 125th birthday on September 6th, two months after our nation celebrates its 250th birthday on July 4. Renton will become half the age of the USA.
This milestone occurs the same summer that world-wide visitors will be filling Renton’s hotels to attend World Cup soccer events. But if these visitors want to learn anything about Renton’s storied history, they won’t find it at the Renton History Museum. Until last year, the Museum building was filled with 45,000 historic artifacts curated by the non-profit community-run Renton Historical Society. But in January 2025, the City of Renton abruptly evicted Renton Historical Society and their artifacts from the surplussed-firehouse museum building that they had leased since 1979. The City said they were going to make urgently needed updates to the building and then operate the museum as a city department. Nearly a year and a half later there have been no building updates, and the City has not put any displays in the Museum.
The City-posted sign on the Museum door says it’s closed for renovations January through April. No renovations are occurring and non-museum uses are now being scheduled into the building
Fortunately, Renton Historical Society carefully boxed and stored their 45,000 Renton artifacts, photographs and documents last year when they were evicted, and they just purchased their own historic downtown building to rebuild a Museum. Their replacement building is across the street from their previous building. It is the oldest brick building in Renton, built in 1898, and an excellent location for them to share their artifacts, hold classes and workshops, and provide office space for their many volunteers that help run the Society.
Renton Historical Society has purchased the two-story brick Snoqualmie Falls Power Substation Building, built in 1898, and its attached annex, across the street from the Renton History Museum.
The Society’s commendable actions upheld decades of commitment to their present and past donors and volunteers, who have documented local stories, supplied antiques and cash, and even left entire estates to Renton Historical Society to benefit the public. Even during this time of displacement, Renton Historical Society has kept their photographs and artifacts available to the public and maintained regular office hours at their temporary leased location at Renton Technical College, where they have some items on display and many available in indexed boxes. They have also continued to share photos and stories on their website.
The Renton Historical Society’s artifacts, photographs, maps and other items fill multiple rooms at the Renton Technical College Annex, where the society has been leasing space this past year.
Did this have to happen?
On January 30, 2025 the Renton Reporter ran a story titled “Renton Historical Society asked to remove artifacts from museum for renovations“. The article includes this statement taken from a Renton Historical Society press release, “Most noteworthy is the fact that the city cannot provide financial or logistical support to any outside organization, including nonprofits like the Renton Historical Society. As a result of this change of city policy, the Renton Historical Society now manages its own administrative, financial and fundraising efforts.” I assume someone at the City of Renton had told them this, but it does not ring true.
Washington law RCW 27.48.010 clearly states that Cities can provide “quarters” and funding for museums, consistent with the historic lease and operating agreement between the City and Museum.
This long-time Washington law empowers cities to “provide quarters” for museums, as Renton did.
In the same Renton Reporter article the City says the move was required for renovation:
“Renton communications and engagement director Laura Pettitt said the forced move is due to planned renovations. The museum is currently in the process of undergoing renovations, and every item in the building is slated for removal, whether owned by the city or the Renton Historical Society or any other entity,” Pettitt said. ”
A year and a half later, with no renovations evident, it’s hard to believe that the need for an urgent renovation drove this change. Especially because the city is now hosting some non-museum activities in the building. It might be that City leadership simply became disinterested in our local history.
The only thing we know for sure is that Renton Historical Society has done a solid job protecting Renton’s history, and they deserve our gratitude for it.
A 1979 partnership between the Historical Society and the City created the Renton History Museum to provide public education and preserve local history. The Renton Historical Society occupied the old fire station building for $1 per year, on a perpetually renewing annual lease. The Historical Society paid utilities, and performed regular maintenance, including care of the landscape. The Historical Society provided the exhibits, staffed the museum, applied for grants, and conducted fundraising drives. Starting in the 1980s, the city provided one staff person to help run and manage the museum.
Good for the hard working volunteers at the Renton Historical Society for persevering through some dark times caused by the City administration. What was the reasoning behind such a bad decision? The public really deserves to know, it’s a tax-payer-owned historical building that adds personality to our city.
I’m looking forward to seeing the new History Building, now under no influence by our Renton electeds. I’m upping our membership in RHS to continue supporting all the good efforts by the RHS Board. Thanks Randy for getting the word out! (Now they really should have a special exhibit featuring the 20-years of your blog chronicling the recent past history of Renton through the eyes of a long-time highly respected Council Member!)
The City said they were going to make urgently needed updates to the building. Nearly a year and a half later there have been no building updates. So why did the city have several events using the space???
Randy, thank you for the well documented blog about the City of Renton and the Renton Historical Society. I have to believe that what took place in 2025 was a blessing, as the Historical Society needed that push to make changes and to purchase a historic building and move forward for the community. Renton Historical Society is celebrating their 60th Anniversary and we want to honor all the hours and labor of the folks that had the vision to preserve our history.
Thank you Carrie for charting the course through this transition. Renton Historical Society, and all the residents of Renton, have benefited immensely from your visionary leadership through the years.
Thank you!
As a resident since the 1960s I look forward to seeing what the Historical Society can accomplish without worrying about the city. Happy 60th.
Unilateral dumb decisions? In My Renton? It’s more likely than you’d think.
Good job on the RHS for bouncing back. Kind of awe-inspiring.
Hopefully they actively center LGBTQIA+ voices and histories. They should elevate them as a core part of the narrative rather than sidelining or minimizing them, as the previous museum often did.
Thanks for this valuable input. I know from speaking to several board members that they are already working on including important stories that have previously been left out, and LGBTQIA+ stories are an important part of this. Anyone in the community with knowledge of these stories, and or photos and artifacts they can share, is encouraged to contact the Renton Historical Society.
Appreciate this thoughtful response. It would also be important to explicitly center the early Black trans and two spriti community members in Renton whose leadership and organizing helped lay the groundwork for the city itself. Making sure these foundational stories are not just included but meaningfully elevated would go a long way toward building a fuller and more accurate historical narrative.
The Renton Duwamish Tribe practiced slavery. That’s a documented but often under-discussed part of Renton’s history. To counter this we could intentionally elevate the stories of early Black trans community members in Renton, whose leadership and presence have helped shape the community in meaningful ways.
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Right??? I guess Renton wants to get on the woke train too.
May Allah strengthen us to fix your wickedness
This country is setup for freedom and by nature is pluralistic. If you can’t stand it, go home.
Wasnt the forced vacation of the building a result of the mayors beef with Councilmember Kim? She was on the board and he was mad at her so he took it out on the history society instead.
Hes a leader that lets spite sway his decision and dilute his effectiveness. I watched the video of the Monday night meeting. You could see he clearly relished the opportunity to have the deciding vote and vote against the residents who dared to speak at the meeting requesting a pause or delay (as well as and the 3 “problem children” councilmembers who defied the City to vote the way they did. It was embarrassing to watch – Im glad i wsnt there for fear of saying something out loud at the meeting. )