Help preserve Banks’ most iconic historic building before it’s too late.
Time is of the essence. The Banks Historical Society has launched a campaign to save the 105-year-old Banks Union High School building—a landmark of local heritage and community spirit. Completed in 1920, the same year the city of Banks was incorporated, this two-story brick building was the first Union High School in Washington County. Now, it’s facing demolition. The latest plans and schematics for the new school (which overlaps the historic school footprint) are moving ahead at breakneck speed.
We’re inviting community members, local leaders, and potential partners to come together and explore creative, sustainable ways to preserve this irreplaceable piece of our past. Most urgently, we are looking for investors/developers who share a forward-looking vision for what this building could become as a future community and commercial center.
Why It Matters
This isn’t just an old building—it’s the last remaining historic brick structure in Banks. For decades, it served as a high school, junior high, and school district office. Its walls have witnessed generations of students from nearby farms, logging camps, and towns come together for education and community.
Despite a voter-approved bond to build a new school—which we wholeheartedly support—the demolition of the historic building wasn’t specified in the bond. And the plan now also includes building a new administrative office that wasn’t in the original proposal.
A Better Vision for the Future
Instead of demolishing the building, we envision adaptive reuse—a creative and cost-conscious way to serve our community while preserving our past. Inspired by similar projects in towns like St. Helens, we’re seeking private investment or a public-private partnership to renovate the building for new uses, such as:
- Administrative or municipal offices
- A community center or senior gathering space
- Childcare or afterschool programs
- Art, event, or maker spaces
- A local museum and visitor center
- Farmers market or commercial kitchen
With two new housing developments on the way, Banks needs more spaces that serve all ages—and this historic building is the perfect place to start.
We’ve Lost Too Much Already
In 2024, our community lost the historic Wilkes House just days before a City Council meeting that might have saved it. That can’t happen again.
The Banks Union High School is publicly owned. We’re also applying for listing on the National Register of Historic Places to access preservation grants and protections.
How You Can Help
This effort needs your voice, your energy, and your support.
- Sign up for updates
- Share your ideas for future uses
- Make a tax-deductible donation
- Contact your local leaders
- Spread the word
➔ Sign the petition to save our last remaining historic brick structure in Banks from demolition.
➔ Take our survey to share your ideas for repurposing our beautiful building.
➔ Check bankshistory.org and follow us on Facebook for updates and ways to get involved.
➔ Make a donation:
Together, We Can Save This Building
“Our historic high school is more than a building—it’s a symbol of our town’s identity and resilience.”
—Nina Shurts, Historic High School Committee Chair
Let’s make sure this symbol isn’t erased from our landscape, but instead reimagined to serve our community for the next 100 years.