(Photo courtesy Southwest Seattle Historical Society)

If you want to just stop by the Log House Museum unannounced during its operating hours, tomorrow is your last chance for a while. Here’s the announcement from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society:

The Log House Museum will be CLOSED November 26th, 27th, and 28th for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will be reopening Friday, December 3rd by appointment only for the month of December.

Appointments to visit the Log House Museum are available from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM Friday-Sunday starting December 3rd, 2021. To make an appointment please email museum@loghousemusem.org by Wednesday of the weekend you would like to visit with:

-Your name
-The date of your appointment
-Your time of arrival
-The number of guests in your party

You will receive an appointment confirmation within 24 hours of your request.

Please note: SWSHS requires proof of vaccination (or a negative test within 72 hours) for all visitors to the Log House Museum who are 12 years and older. This requirement is in compliance with King County’s mandate. Face coverings are still required in the Log House Museum for all visitors age 5 and older regardless of vaccination status.

The museum is at 61st/Stevens.

Those on duty at Seattle’s 33 fire stations took a moment at 8:46 am to pause and remember the 343 firefighters who lost their lives because of the 9/11 attacks. We were at Station 32 in The Junction for the brief remembrance.

The list of names was divided between the stations to be read aloud during the ceremony. Here are the names read at Station 32:

Benjamin Suarez
Daniel Suhr
Lt, Christopher Sullivan
Brian Edward Sweeney
Sean Tallon
Allan Tarasiewicz
Brian Tegtmeier
John Tiemey
John Tipping II
Hector Tirado
Richard Vanhine

City leaders are holding a remembrance ceremony right now (we’ll link the recording when it’s available).

(SWSHS photo: Memory album and luminaria bags from 2001)

Tomorrow marks 20 years since the 9/11 attacks. While no major commemorations are planned in West Seattle, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society is looking for your reflections:

This weekend, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society invites you to reflect on the events of September 11, 2001. Although two decades have passed in the blink of an eye, memories remain fresh in our minds about the heroism, terror, unity, and change generated that day. As a community and nation, we have pledged to never forget the tragedy that unfolded and the Southwest Seattle Historical Society invites you to remember and reflect.

We are collecting diary entries to document your reflections, experiences, and thoughts. Where were you on September 11, 2001? What do you remember about that day? Have your thoughts about September 11, 2001 changed in the twenty years that have passed? How have the events of September 11, 2001 shaped your life and that of your community?

Please share your reflections with us. To do so, please visit: loghousemuseum.org/blog/remembering-september-11-2001

Ten years ago, on the 10th anniversary, hundreds gathered for a vigil at the Alki Statue of Liberty, which became a gathering place for mourners in 2001.

(2015 photo by Long Bach Nguyen)

3:46 PM: Just in from Debra Alderman of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary:

We are offering timed tickets for groups of friends or family members (up to 10 people per group) for Alki Point Lighthouse guided tours on the afternoons of September 19 and 26th. The 30-minute timeslots on the 19th may already be booked up but there’s still availability on the 26th. Reservations for the free tours are available on this site while supplies last: calendly.com/cgauxiliaryseattle/30min

If we have any no shows or unclaimed time slots, we’ll allow walkups to fill them. Masks will be required.

The lighthouse is where Beach Drive SW and Alki Avenue SW meet.

6:20 PM: The reservations are all taken but here’s an update from Debra: “If you would like to be added to the wait list/standby list for a tour on one of these weekends or in the future, please email: alkilighthouse@cgauxseattle.org ”

12:22 AM: The next big chapter in the Stone Cottage‘s history is being written tonight, with the little stone-studded house getting moved off its soon-to-be-redeveloped site at 1123 Harbor Avenue SW. Destination: Port of Seattle land about a mile southeast, until a permanent home is found.

A crowd is here to watch renowned structural movers Nickel Bros take the house to its interim home; we’ll be updating as it goes. (Added: Among those present were family members of Eva Falk, the cottage’s creator.) First, shown above, the truck is moving into position.

1:03 AM: At least another 20 minutes until they start pulling the Stone Cottage off the site – which’ll be tricky, with a power pole close to its east side, a hydrant close to its west side.

1:51 AM: The moving has begun – in short bursts for starters as they carefully maneuver off the site.

2:35 AM: Still maneuvering. Some lines/cables are the newest hurdle to clear. … Ten minutes later, inching around the hydrant.

2:54 AM: Off the site! Now dealing with hydraulics to get under road-spanning wires.

3:06 AM: It’s now rolling down the road.

4 AN: Back at HQ, adding photos and video above. Plus – the next two, sent by Rachel, with a view from over Harbor Avenue as the Stone Cottage rolled by Don Armeni:

And here’s a pic from the pre-move wait – group photo of Save The Stone Cottage volunteers, whose many months of work (along with community support) made this happen:

(They were the ones cheering loudest toward the end of our video clip above.) We’ll be following up to see what’s next.

ADDED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: Thanks to Stewart L. for the photo of the Stone Cottage after arrival at its temporary home:

Mike Shaughnessy of Save The Stone Cottage tells WSB that the Stone Cottage reached its interim site at 4:45 am – 15 minutes shy of when their street-use permit expired. “It was touch and go … threading the needle between cars, and we almost got stuck near 7-Eleven.”

And talk about touch and go … hours after the Stone Cottage was gone, the developers who own its former site demolished the remaining structures:

(That photo also is from Stewart L.)

(WSB photo)

2:22 PM: We’ve just learned from members of Save The Stone Cottage that there’s been a change in plan for tonight’s move. It’s still happening – but minus the hoopla: No ceremonial events, no mini-parade, just the move. What happened is that the moving firm, Nickel Bros, had a positive COVID test – and even though the person who tested positive is NOT on the crew that will be handling tonight’s move, “out of an abundance of caution,” Save The Stone Cottage’s Jeff McCord explains, they decided to cancel the public-spectacle part of the plan. The winning bidders in their auction for ceremonial roles in the event, for example, will get refunds. More details to come.

3:06 PM: The full update we’ve since received from Save The Stone Cottage explains, “Nickel Bros contacted the Save the Stone Cottage committee on Monday evening as soon as its COVID case emerged and possible contact exposures within the Nickel Bros crew had been discovered. The company administered rapid tests to its entire crew early this morning. Two Nickel Bros crew members tested positive for COVID and are quarantining.” One more note: “Those interested in seeing the move take place can still do so, but the Save the Stone Cottage committee recommends that they stay inside vehicles and distanced from the moving staff.”

(WSB photo)

If you’ve been considering bidding to be part of the historic Stone Cottage‘s move next week (late Tuesday/early Wednesday), you have extra time. The group that’s been working to preserve it, Save The Stone Cottage, has an update. They’ve also announced the timeline for the move. First, the auction reminder:

The stone-studded cottage at 1123 Harbor Ave SW 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 storage the night of August 17.

The Save the Stone Cottage has extended the bidding deadline of the ‘First Mile’ Auction another 24 hours. This Auction offers fans of the Stone Cottage 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 sleeping during the midnight move? Consider a ‘Buy The Mile’ per-foot donation for the haul route.

With this extension, the Save the Stone Cottage ‘First Mile’ Auction website will remain open for bids through 4 pm on Sunday, August 15. Highest bid winners will be notified of their status and specific move details beginning at 6 pm Sunday, August 15.

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 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.

Now, here’s what you need to know if you’re planning on watching Tuesday night – first, the schedule:

Approximately 8 p.m.: Nickel Bros’ crew will maneuver the Stone Cottage from wooden cribbing piles onto oversized dollies, and connect them to the semi-truck.

11:30 p.m.: Special remarks by VIP’s at the Information area,

11:55 p.m.: VIP’s lead a countdown, then the ‘Big Go Button’ is pressed by the Save the Stone Cottage auction winner. Lights and fog will erupt from the Stone Cottage.

11:59 p.m.: Drivers and riders enter their convoy vehicles: Nickel Bros Truck Cab, Pilot Car, and Sweeper Car

12:05 a.m.: Nickel Bros truck pulls the Stone Cottage into the Harbor Avenue SW roadway and gets in line between the Pilot Car and the Sweeper Car.

12:15 a.m.: Stone Cottage convoy heads south on Harbor Avenue SW at parade speed – approx 5mph. The rolling convoy may stop to let vehicular traffic from cross street through.

By 1 a.m.: Nickel Bros truck pulls the Stone Cottage through the SW Florida Street gates while the Pilot Car and Sweeper Car turn around and head back to the starting point.

By 2 a.m.: Nickel Bros crew will have the Stone Cottage securely parked onto wooden piers in the Port of Seattle storage lot.

Some things you need to know regarding the route:

No public will be allowed in or near the Nickel Bros Stone Cottage work crew area on the west side of Harbor Ave at Maryland Place.

No public will be allowed within the driving roadway during the move.

No Parking will be allowed on the east side of Harbor Ave SW between the Don Armeni boat launch entrance and SW Florida Street.

SDOT and SPD are responsible for maintaining one-way vehicular flow along eastern side of Harbor Avenue SW during the move. .

Sidewalks along Harbor Avenue SW will provide great elevated viewing opportunities.

Two and a half years have passed since we first reported on local preservationists’ campaign to save the quirky little house after its site was bought by a developer.

(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.

(Cartoon image from ‘Votes for Women Volume 1, Issue 11,’ courtesy SWSHS)

Our state was a leader in granting women the right to vote, and the movement’s leaders included Alki’s Katherine Smith. This Thursday at 6 pm, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society explores part of what brought suffragists to victory, with an online presentation and panel discussion (and we’re honored to be part of it). Here’s the announcement of “Pressing the System: How Newsprint Won Women the Right to Vote”:

Join us for a presentation discussing suffragist Katherine Smith’s utilization of newsprint to inform voters, and hear from SWSHS volunteers Bethany Green and Kathy Mulady, as well as Tracy Record from West Seattle Blog in a panel discussion reflecting the power of the press. Registration is required.

Newspapers were instrumental in convincing voters that women deserve the right to vote in Washington state 10 full years before the 19th amendment passed in Congress. This program will dig deeper into that journalistic legacy, and explore how the press protects and promotes the basic rights of the American people today. We’ll discuss how the press shaped the way that the public perceived the suffrage movement in Washington for 50 years while women fought for the right to vote and reflect on that power today.

The program will consist of a 20-minute presentation from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, followed by a 30-minute panel discussion, and an opportunity for an audience Q&A.

For more details and to register, please visit our website at loghousemuseum.org/blog/may-27-pressing-the-system

Questions? Curator Maggie Kase can answer them – maggiek@loghousemuseum.org.

Last month we published the winning essays in a first-of-its-kind Southwest Seattle Historical Society contest – and this Friday night you can see, hear, and cheer the winners during an online event. Here’s the announcement from SWSHS:

The Southwest Seattle Historical Society is pleased to announce a virtual Award Ceremony honoring the winners of our first annual Youth Writing Contest. Join us for a live Zoom program on Friday, May 7th at 6:00 PM to celebrate our winners Lillian Stowell, Elliott Neves, and Halle Morgan, and hear the authors read their essays. Additionally, we’ll be joined by local authors Mary Fleck, Judy Bentley, and Joey Richesson to speak about the importance of historical writing and young authorship. Congratulations to our winners!

As a reminder, the theme of our competition was: WOMEN HISTORY MAKERS OF THE DUWAMISH PENINSULA. Students explored the contributions of a specific woman from the Duwamish Peninsula who has made an historical impact on the community, past or present, famous or not-yet-famous.

Registration is required. Visit: loghousemuseum.org/blog/1st-annual-youth-writing-contest-award-ceremony to register. Registered participants will be emailed a link to the presentation on the date of the event.

You can read the winning essays here, here, and here.

TUESDAY: Thanks to Mike Shaughnessy of Save The Stone Cottage for the photo! As previewed here Sunday night, the structural-moving firm Nickel Bros has been at the historic stone-studded bungalow for two days, jacking it up to get ready to take it to its interim site. The date for the move isn’t set yet – it will have to happen in the middle of the night, since the process tends to involve some road-blocking. Save The Stone Cottage volunteers, meantime, continues crowdfunding for the next phase of saving the quirky piece of Alki Beach housing history – finding a permanent site, relocating it there, and restoring it. (Its current site at 1123 Harbor SW will soon be redeveloped.)

WEDNESDAY MORNING: Mike just sent the link to this video showing how the process proceeded:

(January photo by Mark Jaroslaw)

The date for the big move isn’t finalized yet but over the next few days, if you happen to go by 1123 Harbor Avenue SW, you’ll see intensified preparations for getting the historic Stone Cottage on the road to its future. Deb Barker from the volunteer coalition Save The Stone Cottage tells WSB that structural-move specialists Nickel Bros will be back on site starting tomorrow. After some work such as caulking, they’ll be jacking up the stone-studded bungalow to get it on the piers that will support it for the move. As announced three weeks ago, Save The Stone Cottage has raised enough to ensure the move can be made, taking it to an interim site for storage until a permanent location is found. Crowdfunding continues so the Stone Cottage can then be restored.