Urgent Message Regarding the Museum at Keewaydin
A Critical Moment for the East Benton County Historical Society
May 27, 2026
Dear Members and Friends of the Museum,
I am writing to share critical information regarding the future of our home at 205 West Keewaydin Drive. The City of Kennewick is currently exploring options for a new City Hall, and one of the plans presented by their architectural firm involves the demolition of our museum building.
The East Benton County Historical Society built this museum through the generosity and labor of our community. Names like Mueller, Gravenslund, Lampson, Bateman, and Spaulding are literally built into these walls, alongside the contributions of 110 service groups and local businesses. Our building is a nearly 9,000-square-foot repository for the stories of our pioneers, railroad workers, and farmers.
The Proposal
One of the city’s current plans suggests replacing our nearly 5,000-square-feet of exhibition space—with a mere 500 square feet of space inside a new city hall. This represents a 90% reduction in our ability to display our collections, such as our one-of-a-kind petrified wood floor, military exhibits, and the vast projectile point collection.
Our Investment and Rights
The Historical Society turned the museum building over to the City of Kennewick in 1981 with the understanding it would be our long-term home. We currently hold a 50-year lease, with an option to renew for another 50 years. Furthermore, we have continued to invest heavily in the facility, including $20,000 for exterior painting in 2022 and over $36,000 for new flooring earlier this year.
How You Can Help
We are being proactive. While the city has assured us they are in the early planning stages, we must act now to ensure the museum remains a negative force against demolition and a positive voice for preservation.
We ask that you join us in these efforts:
Write to the City Council: Please share what the museum means to you and your family. Your personal stories are powerful. See the second side for the addresses.
Sign the Petition: We have a petition on change.org, you can sign it here: https://c.org/tKZWjkg2xj
Write a letter to the editor of the Tri-City Herald
We are the keepers of the people’s things. The pioneers, railroad workers and farmers that founded Kennewick. With your help, we will continue to keep them safe for future generations. Losing our building wouldn’t just mean a loss in that investment. It would be a loss for the community that helped create it over 40 years ago.
Sincerely,
Misty Ayers, Museum Administrator
Museum at Keewaydin
Send a physical letter here:
[Council Member Name]
C/O City Hall
210 West 6th Avenue
Kennewick, WA 99336
You can also email the council members:
Jason McShane, Mayor - Ward 1 Position 1
Jason.McShane@ci.kennewick.wa.us
Chuck Torelli, Mayor Pro Tem - At Large Position 5 (All Wards)
Chuck.Torelli@ci.kennewick.wa.us
Loren Anderson, Council Member - Ward 2 Position 2
Loren.Anderson@ci.kennewick.wa.us
Brad Beauchamp, Council Member - At Large Position 6 (All Wards)
Brad.Beauchamp@ci.kennewick.wa.us
Jim Millbauer, Council Member - At Large Position 7 (All Wards)
Jim.Millbauer@ci.kennewick.wa.us
John Trumbo, Council Member - Ward 3 Position 3
John.Trumbo@ci.kennewick.wa.us
Brad Klippert, Council Member - At Large Position 4 (All Wards)
Brad.Klippert@ci.kennewick.wa.us
The Museum at Keewaydin was built by donations from Kennewick citizens and opened in 1982.