WEST SEATTLE HISTORY: Rock garden meets Stone Cottage

(WSB photo)

A new arrival today at the spot where the Stone Cottage is being stored, awaiting a permanent home. It’s the Bicentennial Tower from the Walker Rock Garden, saved when the garden was partly demolished for redevelopment in 2021. Since then, the tower has been unceremoniously lying on its side atop a planting strip across the street, east and uphill from Fairmount Park. That house is now in the process of being sold, so it had to be moved.

(This photo and next courtesy Mike Shaughnessy)

Today local preservationists led by Mike Shaughnessy, also part of Save the Stone Cottage, loaded it onto a truck and moved it to the lot where the Stone Cottage has been since it too had to be moved because of redevelopment (which has since stalled, but that’s another story). Here’s a photo of how the tower looked when it stood in the Walker Rock Garden:

The hope is that the tower – whose backstory you can read in this story by Eric Scigliano (who was there for this morning’s move) – can be restored and then placed in a new home yet to be determined – somewhere in West Seattle.

8 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE HISTORY: Rock garden meets Stone Cottage"

  • Alki resident March 17, 2023 (2:59 pm)

    Absolutely loved the Walkers generosity allowing hundreds of people into their yard years ago. I was about ten when I saw it for the first time. 

  • Sillygoose March 17, 2023 (3:20 pm)

    YAY this is wonderful news!!  I always felt bothered by the fact someone spent so much time creating this and it was demolished in minutes.  Happy the two historical creations can be together!!

  • Lola March 17, 2023 (4:01 pm)

    Went to the Walker Rock Garden all the time in my youth.  My Girl Scout troop was close by where this was so went on tours often.  Was such a big part of my youth.  So sad they had to take it all out.  I hope if finds a good home someday.  Thank you for saving part of it. 

  • Joan March 17, 2023 (5:46 pm)

    How interesting! I never saw the garden, but walked by the tower many times  where it was awaiting its future. 

  • Pdavis March 17, 2023 (6:34 pm)

    I also had the joy of being able to go to Walkers rock garden many times when I was younger. The amount of effort and hand made items in their yard was astounding and represented true creativity, and art.  How in the world did that place not get protected?  What kind of a person buys that and knocks all that down without giving the community a chance to save it! Geeezzz!I’m glad that part of it made it and that it will join the rock house that is located off of Harbor Avenue these days in a storage lotMaybe we could start to have fundraisers at each of the West Seattle, festivals and events to start getting some money to put this together?

    • Mike Shaughnessy March 17, 2023 (7:14 pm)

      Thanks PDAVIS, we will be starting a small social media/fundraising campaign soon to help finish placing and restoring the Walker Rock Garden tower. Our plan is to restore it and keep it in West Seattle so everyone can continue to marvel and enjoy it. Stay tuned

  • Patience March 18, 2023 (7:56 am)

    The Arboretum at South Seattle College would be a fantastic home for the tower!For those of you that are heading over to SSC today for the Recycle Event,, give yourselves an extra hour to enjoy a stroll around the gardens/grounds on this beautiful spring-like day.

    • Holli March 18, 2023 (9:36 am)

      Agreed!

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