Walla Walla to unveil story map of historic places
By Dan Thesman on Monday, July 29th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA -The city of Walla Walla invites residents to join Development Services Department staff on a digital tour of historic places located within the city. The unveiling of the Historic Register Story Map will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 8, in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 15 N. Third Ave. The public is invited to attend in person or via Zoom at us02web.zoom.us/j/88330259334.
In 2023, the city of Walla Walla received a state grant to create a GIS (geographic information systems) story map of the Walla Walla Register of Historic Places. The city’s Development Services Department and GIS Division enlisted Northwest Vernacular, a historic preservation consultant, to transition the current spreadsheet of properties to a story map — an engaging and interactive tool.
“It is exciting to see this story map come to fruition and to hopefully be an engaging and easy-to-use tool for residents and others to explore and learn about the city’s Register of Historic Places,” Walla Walla Development Services Department Planner Lisa Wasson-Seilo said. “The local register currently lives in a static spreadsheet, so this interactive story map is a big step forward in terms of usability and transparency of our local register properties.”
The city is still finalizing the project and welcomes questions and comments. The hope is that by exploring the story map, residents will gain a deeper appreciation of Walla Walla’s historic places. Anyone with questions about the city of Walla Walla’s Historic Preservation Program may contact Wasson-Seilo at lwasson-seilo@wallawallawa.gov or 509-524-4717.
