Nat Washington House

Nat Washington House. . , Governor's Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation Recognizes that the Washington House in Ephrata, Washington has been listed on the Washington Heritage Register of Historic Places. Date erected December 11, 2025, This property has been placed on the Washington Heritage Register by the Governor's Advisory Council on Historical Preservation., 2nd Plaque , Lt. Col. Nathaniel Willis Washington , The Conscience of the Senate , 1914 - 2007. , Nathaniel "Nat” Washington Jr. was the fourth great-grandson of Augustine Washington, President George Washington's brother. A defining moment in his life was watching his father, aunt, and uncle drown at the age of twelve. He formed his resolve at that time following in his father's footsteps, becoming politically active at a young age, later serving as Grant County prosecutor, and sharing the dream of what would become Grand Coulee Dam. , Nat attended the University of Washington where he was in the ROTC program and served as student body president during his first year of law school. , Nat served for five years in the U.S. Army Air Corps, during world war two, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Shortly after V-E Day he was part of the 12th Tactical Command Judge Advocates Office in Wiesbaden, Germany, and participated in the Nuremberg war crime trials. , In 1948, Nat was elected to the Washington State legislature. After a single term in the house, he was elevated to the senate and reelected six times. He formed an alliance with Bill Raugust, an Odessa Republican. The two legislators, though from different parties and philosophies, co-authored 58 measures that became law, a record for bipartisanship. , Nat taught archaeology and political science at Gonzaga University in Spokane and made himself an expert on Grant County history. He liaised with the tribal leaders for decades and interviewed tribal elders on their memories of growing up before reservations were established. , He was responsible for construction of hundreds of miles of farm-to-market roads, as irrigation caused the Columbia Basin to blossom, and he was credited as being the impetus to the building of Priest Rapids and Wanapum Dams. , The Central Washington Archives Building in Ellensburg is named after him. The Bledsoe and Washington Archives Building and Nat Washington Way in Ephrata are named in his honor as Nat is recognized for his critical role in building a state highway system that was considered among the best and safest in the nation. , Nat received the 2001 Henwood Award from the National Hydropower Association, the industry's most prestigious award, and in 2020 the Third Powerhouse at Grand Coulee Dam was renamed “Nathaniel ‘Nat’ Washington Power Plant" in honor of both Nathaniel Sr. and Jr. Dedicated 2026