Twelve year-old Waylon Robert, a sixth-grader at St. Alphonsus School in Ballard, nominated the Bush House in Index, Wash. to be on the list of the 2009 Most Endangered Historic Properties.

The 1898 building has made the list, along with 12 others in the state, as designated by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, a statewide, non-profit organization founded in 1976 "to safeguard Washington’s historic places through advocacy, education, collaboration and stewardship," according to its Web site.

Built in 1898 the Bush House is one of five hotels that once served Index during the railway boom. In 2005 it was ordered shut for structural deficiences. It is currently for sale.

"It was a really fun place to go when I was little," said Robert at a May 26 event by the Seattle Sculpture Garden officially unveiling all 13 properties on the most endangered list.

"I could slide down the bannister and not get in trouble, play tag with my friends form Index, eat blackberry cobbler gobbler and encounter a ghost," he continued. "I think the Bush House should be saved because It's like (the movie) "Night at the Museum," but it is really happening. President Theodore Roosevelt stayed there (...) It seemed like everyone in Index worked or hung out there, which made it feel very homey. Index is just not the same ever since the Bush House closed."

"There is a diminishing time period for this structure considering the partial roof collapse with last winter's snow," said Chris Moore, field director for Washington Trust. "I cannot imagine a better setting. When you're standing out in front of the Bush House and see see Mt. Index (...) It's other-worldly."

The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation says this about the Bush House:

Constructed in 1898, the Bush House was initially managed by Clarence Bush and his wife who operated the property as a hotel serving railway passengers venturing over Stevens Pass.

Closed for a period in the 1960's, the hotel re-opened in the 1970's and continued to serve as a major community gathering place, hosting dances, community celebrations, meetings, concerts, and weddings. Of the five pioneer-era hotels that once served Index, the Bush House, listed in the Washington State Heritage Register, stands as the last remaining.

The Threat: Several years ago, Snohomish County revoked the hotel’s Certificate of Occupancy due to structural and public safety concerns. Since this time, the building has been subject to vandalism and squatters.

The structure’s shingle roof is rotting and could be subject to collapse given the heavy snowfall that commonly occurs in the area. Although the property has been for sale for a few years and several offers have been made, the owner has not sold the property. The hope is that a buyer interested in rehabilitating the Bush House can be found.