(April photo by Mike Shaughnessy of Save the Stone Cottage)

West Seattle’s historic Stone Cottage finally has a moving date – one week from tomorrow. Announced this afternoon by the volunteer preservationists of Save the Stone Cottage:

The moving date is SET! The historic Stone Cottage is about to embark on its First Mile road trip, and the Save the Stone Cottage team is celebrating this big step with an online auction complete with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

The stone-studded cottage has been a beloved and legendary landmark in West Seattle for 90 years. Threatened with demolition, the Stone Cottage has been saved by the community, and is going to be moved into secure storage at the Port of Seattle just a mile south of its 1123 Harbor Ave SW location. This ‘First Mile’ move will be on the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021, starting after 11 p.m. and going until approximately 2 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18. All are invited to watch the convoy from the Harbor Avenue SW sidewalk.

Leading up to the move, you can participate in the ‘First Mile’ Auction where fans of the Stone Cottage have the opportunity to bid on five separate packages that epitomize moving the Stone Cottage:

Lead the Move — Ride in the Pilot Car

Launch the Convoy — Push The Blast-Off Button

Backseat Driver — Ride in the Moving Rig

Shadow the Convoy — Ride in the Sweeper Car

Wave-in the Convoy — Finish Line Checkered Flag

Prefer something less high profile? Consider a ‘Buy The Mile’ per-foot donation for the haul route.

The Save the Stone Cottage ‘First Mile’ Auction website is open for bids from 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, through 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. Highest bid winners will be notified of their status and specific move details beginning at noon Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.

Visit The ‘First Mile’ Auction site to bid and start the fun. The ‘First Mile’ Auction site is hosted by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and we are grateful for its auction expertise.

Save the Stone Cottage LLC has raised more than $82,000 of the $110,000 donation goal to execute a phased plan to rescue, relocate and restore the Stone Cottage. Donations are still being accepted through the website www.savethestonecottage.org and a GoFundMe charity account. The Southwest Seattle Historical Society, a tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization, is serving as the fiscal sponsor of the Save the Stone Cottage Project. We appreciate its steadfast participation.

Special ‘First Mile’ Thanks to the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, Nickel Brothers, Chainqui Development, All City Fence, Bennett Properties, Port of Seattle, Seattle Department of Transportation and Northwest Insurance Group.

It’s been four months since the Stone Cottage was jacked up in preparation for the move. Save the Stone Cottage’s Jeff McCord tells us it’s still in good shape, and that jacking it up early was actually beneficial, protecting it from potential risks such as vandalism. As for why the long delay, he said permits took longer than expected. As for what happens after the move – the next step is to find a permanent new home.