The Historical Society
The Island County Historical Society is a privately funded non-profit 501 (c) 3
organization.
Since 1949, our mission has been dedicated to the collection, preservation, and
interpretation
of Island County’s rich and unique cultural heritage and history.
Our Board of Trustees Meet our Staff
The Society was first organized in 1949, to try to save the Lovejoy Victorian Courthouse, located in Coupeville, WA, for use as an historical museum. The museum would be used to preserve and house the artifacts and history of Island County. In spite of efforts, the courthouse, built by Howard B. Lovejoy in 1891, was declared unsafe and demolished.
The Society opened the doors to their first museum in 1963.
The
General
Telephone Company donated their exchange building in Coupeville, located on the
corner of Coveland and Main Streets.
The Museum was operated and
maintained by volunteers for approximately five years.
At that time the
Town of Coupeville offered the Society the use of the former
Fire Hall located
on Alexander Street.
The building was much larger than the Exchange and
had a second floor which was used for storage and work space.
Volunteers
remodeled and opened the doors to the public in 1971 to 1991.
The current museum stands on the site of the 1870 Mother Fay’s Hotel, which was later known as the State Hotel, The Pioneer, The Starwana, and finally The Blockhouse Inn. The latter burned in 1968 allowing for the Society to raise funds through various contributions, donations, and grants to acquire the land where The Blockhouse Inn was located. In 1986 the land was purchased and construction began for the new museum.
In July 1991 the current museum was opened to the public and serves as the ideal location for the Island County Historical Museum on the historic Coupeville waterfront and Penn Cove.
We Thank Our Supporters...Past...Present...and the Future!
The Museum is
located on the historic Coupeville waterfront on Whidbey Island, Washington,
just 30 miles northwest of downtown Seattle.
Click here for map
The Museum celebrates over
150 years of Island County history and houses over 19,000 objects, photographs,
and material in its Collections and Archives. Our permanent exhibits
detail the shaping and development of Island County from the Ice Age to the
mid-twentieth century and our visitors have the opportunity to learn about the
Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest, Whidbey Island’s Maritime History and
Sea Captains, the Pioneer Settlers of 1853, and the County’s extensive military
history.
The Museum also provides monthly educational programming, tours, and an on-site Research Library and Archives facility.