Polson Museum suspects arson in blacksmith shop fire

Published 1:30 am Friday, June 19, 2026

Late Thursday night into Friday morning, the Polson Museum’s blacksmith shop was destroyed in a fire. Polson Museum stated on Facebook that the shop was “a tired little replica building built in 1983 that we had planned to demolish this summer.”

The museum also said, “It appears this was a case of arson and we ask that anyone with information or video footage from the Riverside Avenue area in the 1 to 2:30 a.m. time period from Friday morning, contact the Hoquiam Police Department.”

The only artifact in the building was the Polson Logging Co. forge, “which took the fire like a champ given its steel and concrete construction.” The massive redwood tree behind the shop sustained burn damage as well.

“A huge thank you to the motorist who called in the fire as well as the Hoquiam Fire and Police Departments who responded and quickly extinguished the inferno,” the museum said via Facebook.