The club house is often viewed as a neat little building with lots of charm, it also has an interesting history that was complex and costly for the club. During the great depression Issaquah Sportsmen's Club had a lot more property but were land poor. In an effort to acquire a clubhouse they enlisted the help of the Work Progress Administration (WPA). It was understood that the WPA could not build on private lands but if the land were given to the city then the project could move forward. In exchange for a clubhouse ISC gave up a large chunk of their land with an understanding that it would be leased back to them in perpetuity. this agreement like most things of the time was done with a nod and a hand shake. Any documentation of the official agreement was lost. Apparently "in perpetuity" doesn't mean what it used to. As is often the case governmental agencies are not always good at upholding agreements, especially ones agreed upon in the 1930's. So in the 1990's the City of Issaquah abandoned the long standing agreement to the sportsmen's club traded the land to the department of education. the DOE unceremoniously told ISC to get out. They further stated that if the club wanted to undergo the expense to save the club house building they could move it, otherwise it would be demolished. In a last ditch effort in the last days of the grace period a moving crew arrived and scooped the building up and relocated it to it's current location. The Club House was designated a King County Landmark in 1997 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
Several entities currently use this wonderful slice of history as a regular meeting place:
The Issaquah Sportsmen's Club
Cascade Mountain Men
Boy Scouts
4H shooting sports
WDFW basic Hunter Education Courses
Bow Hunter Education courses
Some have even used it for family Christmas parties.
The Club House can be rented for meetings and parties. If you are interested in renting the Club House, please contact Tom Mechler at 425-255-0922 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Issaquah History Online has a short story and photos of the Club House.