Victory in the Capitol!!

The boards of the Whidbey Island Maritime Heritage Foundation (Schooner Suva) and Historic Whidbey (Haller House) are thrilled to announce that our long-awaited "Nautical Northwest" specialty license plate was passed by the Legislature last month and Senate Bill 5444 was signed into law yesterday by Governor Bob Ferguson!  Proceeds of plate sales will support our two nonprofits in preserving Whidbey Island's heritage resources.

We began this process in 2020, but perseverance has won the day.  This bill authorized thirteen different new plates, but it also places a moratorium on any new plate applications until 2029.  We feel very lucky to be the "last car on the ferry"!

When will the plates be available?

Great question!  There are still a number of technological hurdles to pass before production can be scheduled.  Some of the organizations on the bill have been trying to pass even longer than we have and so we will be in line behind them.  We don't expect the plates to be available until later in 2026, but we will keep you posted!  

Boatloads of thanks to all our supporters for making this victory possible!!

Historic Whidbey's Lynn Hyde (far left) joins fellow beneficiaries of the bill from the Seattle Metro Pickleball Association, the Washington Tree Farm Program and the Washington State Beekeepers Association as Gov. Bob Ferguson signs Senate Bill 5444. 

Installing Dry Wall!

Dry Wall Day at Haller House!  The day it starts looking like a house again!

One if by land & two if by sea!

Celebrating the 250th anniversary of

Paul Revere’s famous ride!

Schedule of Events

Sunday, April 13 

“The truer story of Paul Revere’s Ride”
a history talk with historian Lynn Hyde
Coupeville Library
788 NW Alexander Street
6:30 p.m., (admission is free, in-person only)  

Friday, April 18

For Kids: Reading of Longfellow’s famous poem,
“The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere”
Kingfisher Book Store
16 Front Street NW
10:00 a.m. – preschoolers, with Meg Olson 
4:00 p.m. – elementary schoolers, with Joann Roomes

Evening: SHHH! Express messenger

Paul Revere rides from Boston

with urgent news from the Sons of Liberty!!
Island County Historical Museum
908 NW Alexander Street
7:45 p.m., reception & reading by Patrick Hussey to follow

Bring your lanterns!! TELL NO TORIES!!

For more information contact: coupevillechamber.com
(360) 678-5434, ext. 102

Thank you to Humanities Washington!

Historic Whidbey would like to thank:

for their generous award of a SHARP grant during the recent pandemic. 

Their support helped keep our engine running!

Funding for Historic Whidbey has been provided by Humanities Washington and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) approved by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Joseph R. Biden.  This 2022 SHARP grant (Sustaining Humanities through the American Rescue Plan) was indispensable, enabling us to continue our mission through the the Covid-19 pandemic.

Our board extends their deepest gratitude!

Pullin' Nails

While winter delays construction progress, Historic Whidbey has been planning out 2023 and what we hope to get done. A lot of projects are on the list for 2023, and we are really excited to share those with you in the future.

With the help some active Board Members, we have completed the arduous process of removing the thousands (literally) of nails that once held the old lathe boards to the wall. Unfortunately, the plaster was not in good enough condition to keep, so the decision was made to remove the old plaster and put-up drywall as well as additional structural pieces that will assist the house to remain standing for much longer in the future. Even to endure large earthquakes.

NOTE: The old lathe boards are available for sale at Aqua Gifts across the street. These roughly ~12in long boards are bundled together and only cost $5 each. This bundle is great for kindling, enjoying in your fireplace or while out camping. I have also heard a few people have decorated with these old boards, so the opportunities are endless. Recycling and supporting a local cause, we make it pretty easy!

Remember to hit that donate button below to keep our train chugging along and getting more and more projects done!

Getting a new coat!

The lovely weather we’ve been having has given us the chance to begin the arduous task of re-siding and paint the house. We have enlisted the help of Sound Colors Painting. You can see them this week spraying and scraping the prep for primer. If we are lucky, we may even, see some color start popping up of the building this year!

Yellow! While prepping the house for work we actively removed baseboard, sanded wood, and scraped a century worth of old paint to find the original color. We believe this is the oldest color on the house. Using Benjamin Moore’s historical collection, we matched this with a lovely light ochre for the siding and a butternut squash color trim.

However, for the winter the house will only be primed. So, the yellow you see now is not the final stage of color. In spring we will put the final coats on and watch the house blossom along with the flowers.

Remember, none of this is possible without your help. Keep us moving forward with a donation today!