Vashon Island, a sparsely populated place of rolling farms and woodlands, is a pleasant ferry ride from Seattle or Tacoma. From a plane you’d know that Vashon, sometimes called Vashon-Maury Island, is two islands joined by a small chunk of land between Puget Sound and a sheltered harbor. Native Americans fished, gathered and hunted here for centuries. Then explorer George Vancouver’s 1792 visit signaled the change that resulted in the eventual removal of native peoples.
Something undefinable but subtly discernible hovers in the air at this juncture, perhaps because the topography of water meeting land is so rich. The harbor draws thousands of ducks, grebes, loons and more bird species each winter. Surely it was the same back when the S’Homamish, a Coast Salish tribe, had a settlement here. The S’Homamish are said to have used a nearby grove of madrone trees for their canoe burials. Bodies were wrapped and put into a canoe with offerings. The canoe, with holes in it to drain water, was hoisted into the trees. It reminds me of Tibetan sky burials, another relatively open manner of disposing of the dead. There’s something intriguing about the mixing of elements – water, earth, sky and spirit – in the canoe burial. Though visible traces are long gone, do S’Homamish spirits still linger in this spot?
I spent an afternoon on Vashon Island last week. Ignorant of the island’s history, I was intent on a relaxing day of back road drifting and photo opportunities. The ferry disembarked at the north tip of Vashon and I traced the main road south towards Point Robinson on Maury Island, where a lighthouse sits on a beach with a commanding view of Mt. Rainier. As I traversed the narrow strip of land between Vashon and Maury I noticed an old abandoned building just off the water’s edge, facing the sound. It drew me in with its flat front of softly weathered wood. It was the kind of deserted ruin photographers love – full of character and peeling paint, it was sparely lit by reflected light from the harbor. A bamboo grove chartreuse with sunlight crawled across a sagging porch. The sign in the window said “The Portage Store.”
The building offered up its bones. I feasted.
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When I got home I googled “Portage Store.” The smaller original building was built in 1903, then moved in 1910 to accommodate the larger two-story building. This was the community’s post office until 1968. Much of the original store, which closed for business about nine years ago, remains as it was – that’s evident when you compare an early photograph to recent photos.
There wasn’t much information online about the old building. Supposedly someone lives in part of it; a few years back students from the University of Washington in Seattle did a project proposing a gentle re-purposing of the building to preserve its character and keep it going. That plan clearly never took off.
There wasn’t enough time left that day as the sun went down and I had to consider the ferry schedule and the drive home. I must go back and look again, before it’s gone. Maybe I’ll find that Madrone grove where canoe burials married spirit to sky and earth, or maybe better light will unmask long forgotten details in the Portage Store’s construction.
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At Poppy’s request, (see comments) here’s the lighthouse and the view of Mt. Rainier from it. The Point Robinson Lighthouse was built in 1915, and yes, people were rescued in the area by it’s keepers. It went automatic quite a while ago, and when locals heard the attractive keeper’s houses next to the lighthouse were in danger they formed an organization. It’s a park now and guess what – you can stay in the keeper’s quarters!
The photo of the lighthouse was taken the first time I came to the island, in October last year – same for the one of Mt. Rainier. Last week’s weather was far less brilliant than the sunny day you see below; the Mt. Rainier photo in the header is from last week – hazy!
bluebrightly 
Isn’t it fun to discover an abandoned building and then to find some of its history? I hope you’ll find upon your return that someone has taken on its preservation. Looks like another fun photo walk, Lynn. 😊
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Yes, I love looking things up later and delving into local history a bit. We are curious, aren’t we?!
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Sounds like quite the adventure. Sad to run out of time for ferry schedules. A return trip seems to certainly be in order. I’ve enjoyed the digging up of history that you do for your images.
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I know we are all pressed for time and so I hesitate to write too much, so it’s good to hear you like the background, Gunta – thanks!
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You’re not replete yet Lynn 😉 I can tell . Much more of its shadowy past to be revealed I’m sure on a return trip . What a place … I’d have been itching to get out my camera too … are you holding back on the lighthouse and harbour and birds …. we want to see it ALL you know 🙂
Lovely post .
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Oh, the lighthouse isn’t a very inspiring one, not like some I’ve seen on your side…but the Mt. Rainier view is fabulous. I didn’t want to change lenses and it was a bit hazy so that photo isn’t what it could be but I’ll add it. And the harbor – I haven’t really seen it, certainly not with the birds there – another reason to return!
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An interesting set (and I particularly like the first) greatly enhanced by your accompanying context.
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Thank you Louis – glad to hear you enjoy reading the text – like I said to Gunta above, I hesitate to write too much.
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Interesting find…and well captured.
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Thank you Scott!
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I enjoyed your feast, and your stories about the place. I especially like the light and color in the first photo of this series.
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Glad you enjoyed the text as well as the photos – I know you’re a curious sort!
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Great post! When I was a kid, I always had a romantic vision of Vashon Island as my great aunt & uncle lived near the Vashon ferry in West Seattle…and I thought how great it would be to stowaway on a ferry one day 🙂
Super photos, they all take in what I imagine Vashon to be in the last century ~ and it was great to read of the history, as it made the photos come to life a bit more. The first photo is a great jumping in point! Cheers!
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Interesting! Thank you so much.
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Oddly, I love the life that’s so evident in these photos.
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That’s a big part of the draw and the mystery, isn’t it? Thanks –
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Ohhh I love this . . . so full of vacancy 🙂
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Plenty of room!
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a feast indeed 🙂
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I must go back for more! Thanks!
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I had a strange feeling… these photos ” breathe” an atmosphere of freedom even if they talk about very old times. I really love it, Lynn!
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Really? It seems buildings and sites like this can mean a lot to many people. It’s an evocative place. Thanks for your thoughts!
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This is one of my favorite posts in a while–the grays and blues of the wood get me.
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It’s an unusual shade of aqua, when you think about it, for an old wooden building. Great to hear from you!
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Fascinating post—canoe burials? Love your parallel to the building photos (which are gorgeous!). Will you stay at the Point Robinson Light? Happy Thxgiving, J&A
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Yes, canoe burials. I bet you’re thinking hard about that! 🙂 I should seriously consider a stay over there; I think it would be so peaceful.
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A wonderful post Lynn. Gorgeous photographs. What a gem to have so close to Seattle.
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There are many gems in stone’s throw – oh to be retired! 🙂
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What a fabulous potter through the past, and how divine the slivery blue greens of the house with all that fresh bamboo. Part of me loves the idea of perhaps camping out on the island . . . . !
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Yes, isn’t the bamboo gorgeous, esp. against the old painted wood? I really want to see it in better light though. It’s an interesting place, full of organic farmers and old hippies and such. You’d have a blast.
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Nice series! Who needs a new house if you can have these? 😉
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WELLLL….not sure how much I’d love the inside amenities! 😉
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Great shots, that make me long to go there! 🙂
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Hi Lynn, I know this is a pretty old post, but I just happened across it as I was doing a search for empty buildings on Vashon Island. The Portage Store is my neighbor, and it is not abandoned. Our neighbor who owns the store lives in a house behind it, there are multiple buildings on the property in addition to his house and the two structures you see in your AMAZING photos.
I am dreaming of a project where we photograph each of the empty houses on Vashon and dream up proposals for utilizing these empty spaces to provide affordable houses by creating apartments within them, duplexes, triplexes, etc. Thank you for sharing your observations with such spectacular photography.
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Hi Rachel,
How fortuitous! Your comment has led me back in time and down a few wormholes. Thank you for filling in a few details about the building. It really caught my imagination and the light that day was lovely. I had a vintage lens on my camera, too.
Your project sounds great. I’m glad you’re dreaming and I hope it can happen – affordable housing gets harder to find every year. Repurposing would fit in with the Vashon spirit and be more sustainable over the long term. Being curious, I googled you, saw that you’re a designer, and began remembering a time long ago when I lived in NY and worked for James Huniford. You might know his work – if you don’t, google him. I think you’ll like it. –
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