The Historic Trust

Secret Spaces Three-House Tour: Marshall House, Grant House, and O.O. Howard House
2026-05-02 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
The Historic Trust is excited to bring back Secret Spaces Tours for Preservation Month 2026!
Secret Spaces Tour will give participants a unique peek into typically unseen parts of three Officers Row homes: the Marshall House, Grant House, and O. O. Howard House.
Your tour stop at each house begins at the top of the hour with a 10-to-15-minute seated educational session, providing historical and architectural background information about the spaces you are about to see. Highlights in each location include:
Marshall House

The Historic Trust’s Director of Historic Preservation, Holly Chamberlain, will provide the historical and architectural overview
Access the turret via the attic for a beautiful view and photo opportunity
Visit private offices on the second floor

Grant House

Local historian Jeff Davis will be in character as President Ulysses S. Grant circa 1879 with a living history presentation about Grant’s life and time at Vancouver Barracks, and points of interest about the house
Enjoy the view and get a special close-up look at the exterior portion of this log cabin from the 2nd floor balcony
Browse the entire 2nd floor including the large over-kitchen banquet room

O. O. Howard House

Julie Garver, who was project manager for the City of Vancouver’s rehabilitation of the house in the late 1990s, will give a presentation about the house and the unique challenges tackled during its restoration
Check out the ornate fireplaces and architectural details that adorn what are currently private offices
Learn more about General Howard’s life & time at Vancouver Barracks, and get a great view when visiting the attic

IMPORTANT – PLEASE NOTE: many of these spaces are only accessible by stairs. Please read the “Building Accessibility” information below to determine if this tour is right for you and your companions, if you are purchasing multiple tickets. All participants must be at least 12 years of age.
– – – – – – – –
TICKET INFORMATION
TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Tickets are $30 per person. Ticket price includes all taxes and fees. Tickets are available in advance only.
To purchase tickets, select the house for the start of your three-house tour below. Every tour will be the same, the only difference is your starting point. Ticket sales will end at 5pm PDT Friday, May 1, 2026. Tickets will NOT be sold at the door.
Start At Marshall House – Buy Tickets
Start At Grant House – Buy Tickets
Start At O.O. Howard House – Buy Tickets
– – – – – – – –
SECRET SPACES TOUR – BUILDING ACCESSIBLITY
These “Secret Spaces” tours are providing access to areas that are generally off-limits to the public and are not fully accessible. Please use the following building descriptions to determine whether these tours are right for you. Please let us know ahead of time if you have specific questions about accessibility. You may reach the main office at 360-992-1800.
Marshall House (MH):
South side (Main) entrance is accessible by stairs. North (rear) entrance (with wheelchair accessible signage) is accessible via ramp. There is one accessible bathroom on the main floor. There is a chair lift available that provides access to the second floor. This tour includes a visit to the turret, which is only accessible by a narrow set of stairs to the attic from the second floor. No ASL provided.
Guests are welcome to remain on the main floor after the opening presentation to explore the rooms and additional resources about General Marshall. Volunteers and staff will be available to provide verbal interpretation of spaces on second floor and attic.
Grant House (GH):
South side (Main) entrance is accessible by stairs. North (rear entrance) is accessible via a ramp to the back door. There is one accessible bathroom on the main floor. The second floor is only accessible by stairs. No ASL provided.
Guests are welcome to remain on the main floor after the opening presentation to explore additional resources about President Grant and visit the downstairs rooms. Volunteers and staff will be available to provide verbal interpretation of spaces on second floor.
O.O. Howard House (OOHH):
South side (Main) entrance is accessible by stairs and via ramp from the back of the house. West entrance by employee parking lot is accessible without stairs. There is an elevator in the Howard House that provides access to the second floor. The attic is accessed via stairs only. The main floor has ADA accessible restrooms. No ASL provided.
Guests are welcome to explore the main floor and second floor via elevator. Volunteers and staff will be available to provide verbal interpretation of the attic space.
– – – – – – – –
Thank you to our Preservation Month sponsor:

We are grateful to Halbert Construction Services for their support of The Historic Trust’s Preservation Month programming: Secret Spaces Three-House Tour, Secret Spaces Post Hospital Tour, and our presentation, Mid-Century Modern Vancouver, with State Architectural Historian Michael Houser.

Mid-Century Modern Vancouver
2026-05-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Red Cross Building, 605 Barnes Street, Vancouver, 98661, United States
Join us for an exploration of the architecture and history of mid-twentieth century Vancouver with State Architectural Historian Michael Houser. Learn about mid-century modern architectural styles, and the builders and designers who brought them to life. Houser will highlight several notable local designers including Day W. Hilborn, Donald Stewart, Keith Bradbury, and William D. Cassady.
Houser has served as the Architectural Historian for the State of Washington for more than 20 years, and has a long record of helping building owners and the general public understand and connect with the architecture and history of their communities. Currently he manages the State and National Register programs at the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation in Olympia, as well as Washington’s unique Heritage Barn Program.
Houser helped heighten public awareness of post-WWII resources by establishing the “Nifty-from-the-Last 50 Initiative,” which has documented over 300 mid-century modern buildings across the state and continues to grow. Recent projects include writing biographies of architects and building designers who practiced around the state, and a study of the late 1950s nationwide Gold Medallion Home program, which promoted the use of residential electricity.
Vancouver native Houser holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho and a Master of Science Degree in Historic Preservation from Eastern Michigan University. Previous jobs included working as the Historic Preservation Planner for Deschutes County, OR. Earlier experience includes time at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI and survey work for the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.

Registration is now open!
This program is offered free of charge, but space is limited. Please reserve your spot HERE.

Photo Caption: Architect William Donald Cassady (1927-2021) designed the Fort Vancouver Regional Library (now ArtsHub) in 1963. Credit: City of Vancouver

Secret Spaces Tour: Post Hospital
2026-05-30 09:00 - 15:00
The Historic Trust is excited to bring back Secret Spaces Tours for Preservation Month 2026!
The Secret Spaces Post Hospital Tour will give participants a chance to step back in time and imagine the rooms of this historic building in action. Built in 1903-1904, the Post Hospital was considered cutting-edge for its time, including being one of the first in the nation to have space purpose-built for taking and developing x-ray images.
Today, many of the building’s original structural features remain:

Tin ceiling tiles
Coved ceilings
Woodwork
Sun porches, which helped support recovery of tuberculosis patients

With access to explore spaces on all four floors, you’ll get an exclusive peek inside this structure that has been off-limits to the public for decades.
Your experience begins across the street from the Post Hospital at the Red Cross Building with a brief 10-to-15-minute seated educational session by The Historic Trust’s Director of Historic Preservation, Holly Chamberlain, sharing historical and architectural background information about changes the building has seen over time, and about the spaces you’ll get to explore.
Your time in the hospital will not be guided. Most spaces will be open for you to walk through or look into, so you can see the building at your own pace within the allotted time frame.
IMPORTANT – PLEASE NOTE: The Post Hospital is only accessible by stairs, and movement between floors inside the building is via stairs only. Please read the “Building Accessibility” information below to determine if this tour is right for you and your companions. All participants must be at least 12 years of age. All participants must wear closed-toe flat shoes.
– – – – – – – –
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets will go on Sale 5/1 at 10am!
Tickets are $35 per person. Ticket price includes all taxes and fees. Tickets are available in advance only.
Tour Times at 9:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm

SECRET SPACES TOUR – BUILDING ACCESSIBLITY
This “Secret Spaces” tour includes areas that are generally off-limits to the public and are not fully accessible. Please use the following building description to determine whether this tour is right for you. Please let us know ahead of time if you have specific questions about accessibility. Contact us at 360-992-1800.
Post Hospital Tour
The Post Hospital is currently only utilized by The Historic Trust staff and is not open to the public. It is being opened for this special “Secret Spaces” tour only. The building is only accessible by stairs, and movement between floors within the building is via stairs only. There are no accessibility accommodations in place. No ASL provided.
Guests are welcome to purchase tickets to enjoy the brief (10-15 minute) opening presentation about the Post Hospital, which will be held in the Red Cross Building (RCB) and forego exploration of the Post Hospital building requiring mobility. The Red Cross Building is accessible via a ramp on the east side of the building with access from the north. There are accessible restrooms on the main floor.
– – – – – – – –
Thank you to our Preservation Month sponsor:

We are grateful to Halbert Construction Services for their support of The Historic Trust’s Preservation Month programming: Secret Spaces Three-House Tour, Secret Spaces Post Hospital Tour, and Mid-Century Modern Vancouver with State Architectural Historian Michael Houser.
