Kurt Cobain’s childhood home officially recognized as a Washington state landmark

It has been announced by Washington state’s Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation that Kurt Cobain’s childhood home has been officially approved for inclusion on its Heritage Register of culturally and historically important buildings, following a unanimous vote.

The property, which resides in Aberdeen, was Cobain’s place of residence between 1968 to 1984, and was declared by a nine-person Governor’s Advisory Council on Historic Preservation as being “directly associated with an individual who made an important contribution to a community or to a group of people”.

Said Allyson Brooks, executive director of the state’s Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, “It’s rare to have a childhood home considered. Generally we want to be sure that we’re acknowledging that something happened in a childhood home that was significant.

“In this case,” she continued, “it’s Kurt Cobain, who developed his musical passions and skills in Aberdeen and in that house.”

What’s more, the house’s current owner, Lee Bacon – who purchased the property from the Cobain family with his wife Danielle in 2018 – says the pair have plans to turn the building into a “tribute project to Kurt’s early life and career, with museum detail”.

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In an interview with Rolling Stone, Bacon said the project is “90 to 95 percent” complete, and revealed that they are exploring the possibility of opening it up as an occasional private tour venue in the spring.

Both of the Bacons have been working closely with Cobain family to restore the house to its vintage-era glory and kit it out with period-accurate visual and functional appointments.

As well as retrieving the Cobain family’s original belongings – including a dining table, mattress and china hutch – the Bacons will also repaint the property’s yellow facade to match the colors it sported in the ‘70s.

Kim Cobain, Kurt’s sister, said in the same interview, “I enjoy being involved and providing my input. I am very happy and supportive Lee and Dani took this on three years ago.”

To coincide with the restoration, Bacon has also purchased a 25,000-square-foot building in Aberdeen, 8,000 of which he plans to turn into a Cobain-dedicated “Tribute Lounge and Gallery Cafe” that will feature artifacts, photos and memorabilia.

Bacon will also work with guitar builder Larry Brooks for the installation, the latter of whom will provide the history behind Cobain's famed Jag-Stang electric guitar, which Brooks custom-built for the Nirvana legend, and will be reissued by Fender this year.