Daughters of the Pioneers to restart Crosby House tours; commission asked to support upkeep

Anne Olsen, president of the Olympic chapter of the Daughters of the Pioneers, told the Tumwater Historic Preservation Commission that her chapter will resume public tours of Crosby House next year and sought the commission's support. "So, I'm Anne Olsen. I am the president of the, Olympic chapter of the Daughters of the Pioneers," Olsen said, and announced the group will hold a reopening tour on the second Sunday in April (April 12, 2026) from 1 to 4 p.m., then the first Sunday of each month through October.

The request was procedural but practical: Olsen described the chapter's historic stewardship of the property and said volunteer capacity and post-COVID staffing have limited tours until now. She asked the mayor and commission members to visit Crosby House to better understand maintenance needs and encouraged commissioners to promote the tours to the public.

A city staff member and Commissioner Dave McAndrew said staff would work with Olsen and Emily Greenwell to post tour dates on the city website and include the event in the meeting minutes, ensuring the public has advance notice. The commission did not take formal fiscal action at the meeting; Olsen requested support and visibility rather than a specific budget appropriation.

The commission agreed to include the announcement in official minutes and asked staff to follow up on publicity and any support needs ahead of the April opening.