The Fir Lodge/Alki Homestead Restaurant in West Seattle has been entered in the National Trust’s “This Place Matters” Community Challenge. The contest is offering a grant of $25,000 to a non-profit organization.  If the historic building wins, the grant would go to the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, who helped secure the building’s landmark status, is entering it into the contest and is advocating for its restoration.  The building is the only landmark from Seattle being entered into the contest.  Click here to login and vote.  The challenge ends on September 15, 2010.

The Alki Homestead Restaurant was designated as a City of Seattle landmark by the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board 1996.  It is one of the few log structures left in Seattle and the creation of it dates back to 1904, when it was built for William and Gladys Bernard.  In 1950, the lodge became the Alki Homestead Restaurant and served customers for almost 60 years, until it was damaged by a fire in January 2009.