FOLLOWUP: Volunteers prep ‘Alki Beach Rock House’ for move

(WSB photos – first 4 are from Saturday)

If all goes well, the well-known “Rock House” (“Stone House’ to some) across from Don Armeni Boat Ramp will be moved to a temporary new home within the next month or two. To get ready for the move, advocates and other volunteers have been working to clean it up and prepare it. We stopped by this weekend while several were working at the site.

As we first reported almost two years ago, the nearly-a-century-old cottage studded with scavenged beach stones is on a site that’s destined for redevelopment. But the new owners were willing to give preservation advocates the house, as long as it could be moved. And first, there’s a lot to be removed.

Hopes of moving it to a Seattle Parks site aren’t advancing at this point, we’re told, but advocates with the Alki Beach Rock House Association are working on other options in the area.

First task, though, is moving it to a holding site. The renowned house-moving firm Nickel Bros is set to do that in December or January.

(WSB photo, 2019)

The house is not a historical landmark, but the group wants to save the structure as a reminder of Alki’s beach-cottage history, as what’s left of that history continues to make way for redevelopment.

14 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: Volunteers prep 'Alki Beach Rock House' for move"

  • Bean November 22, 2020 (9:19 pm)

    I’m no engineer but I can see a pile of rubble when they try to move it. Good luck!  It’s about the last reminder of Alki history and I hope it finds a new home. 

    • Wendell November 22, 2020 (10:06 pm)

      You lost me at “I’m no engineer… “

      • Brenda November 22, 2020 (10:42 pm)

        Ha ha ha. 😂

    • Derek November 23, 2020 (9:02 am)

      I am an engineer. Very easy to move. Believe it or not we figured out how to move much more fragile houses 70+ years ago. Welcome to the 21st century. 

      • HS November 23, 2020 (12:15 pm)

        I feel like I’m watching a tennis match here. haha

      • candrewb November 23, 2020 (1:46 pm)

        And Nickel Bros is the best in the biz.

  • Just wondering November 22, 2020 (9:26 pm)

    Pretty cool!

  • MJ November 22, 2020 (10:05 pm)

    A heavy lift, pardon the pon

  • Mj November 22, 2020 (10:27 pm)

    pun

  • dhg November 22, 2020 (10:48 pm)

    When I’m entertaining out of town visitors, I’ve always taken them by the pebble house and told them the origin story.  I think much will be lost by removing it from its original site but at least there’s a chance it can continue as a reminder of our history.

    • Pelicans November 23, 2020 (1:19 am)

      I’ve always loved this house. Imagine poor people making do as best they could during the depression and building this. It wasn’t the only one. There were more. One was on the corner of Alki Ave. SW and Benton, just north of the Metro treatment plant. Supposedly it even had an elevator. The beautiful beach rock retaining wall is still there.  Don’t know how to attach the photo, but it’s on MOHAI’s website. There are even still some old fireplaces around made from local rocks.

      • just wondering November 23, 2020 (9:06 am)

        I believe the fireplace at what was the “Homestead” restaurant is made of rocks brought up from the beach!

  • lowmanbeachdrive November 23, 2020 (1:25 pm)

    Wonderful news!

  • Scott Collins November 23, 2020 (6:31 pm)

    Would love to help…is there still volunteer work to do?  Who would I contact?

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