(WSB photos)

Every year, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society offers a tour of a local house with a notable past. This afternoon, while many were watching hydroplane racing and/or Blue Angels aerobatics, this year’s “If These Walls Could Talk” tour invited visitors inside the Gatewood home where Lloyd and Mary Anderson began the business that became REI.

At center in the photo above is SWSHS executive director Jeff McCord, talking with visitors inside the basement where the Andersons launched their buying coop in 80 years ago. After Lloyd died in 2000, Mary – who died last year at age 107 – Mary sold the house.

It’s since been remodeled and expanded, with three more houses added on the site where it was built in 1932, as this Seattle Times Now and Then story explains, but part of the exterior, including the porch and overhang, remain the same.

The site is now known as Anderson Gardens in the couple’s honor. The REI website has more on how they founded the company, which remains a co-op.

P.S. At its own home, the Log House Museum, SWSHS will debut a new exhibit about local music history, noon-2 pm Thursday (August 9th), just in time for its spotlight during Sub Pop’s SPF30 anniversary celebration next Saturday.