Historic Chapin Building faces uncertain future as Post Falls Historical Society struggles with maintenance costs

POST FALLS, Idaho — The Chapin Building, a 100-year-old structure at the corner of Fourth and Spokane Street, has served Post Falls as a pharmacy, laundromat, dance hall, and police headquarters. Today, it operates as a museum run by the Post Falls Historical Society.

But the building’s future is uncertain. The city owns the structure but allows the Historical Society to use it rent-free, as long as the organization pays for maintenance. For a building over 100 years old, those costs are adding up.

Water damaged beams in the basement need repair and King says the aging foundation also demands thousands of dollars in renovations.

The Historical Society says it cannot afford these expenses alone.

“We’re being really careful about how we spend our money, because we don’t know if we’ll be here in a month or a year,” King said.

When King asked the city for help at a recent City Council meeting, Mayor Randy Westlund said the city doesn’t have the money.

“We’ve been working on how we’re going to pay for health insurance and pay our police officers and dispatch and fill potholes in the streets,” Westlund said.

Instead of deciding immediately, the city issued a request for proposals to determine the best use of the building. The Post Falls Historical Society submitted their request for proposal last week.

King said the Historical Society is open to extending hours and finding more community sponsors to help keep the museum open.

“Once you lose a building like this, it’s never the same again. You can’t reenter it. This is like this is part of who Post Falls is. And we want to stay here,” King said.

The Historical Society plans to meet with city leaders for a workshop in the coming weeks to discuss the building’s future.