The Captain Whidbey Inn is a 102 year old establishment listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The inn is located on Whidbey Island

Whidbey Island

Whidbey Island is one of nine islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is located about north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington...

 at the west end of Penn Cove just outside Coupeville, Washington

Coupeville, Washington

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,723 people, 737 households, and 426 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,346.7 people per square mile . There were 814 housing units at an average density of 636.2 per square mile...

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History

Captain Whidbey Inn was built in the fall and winter of 1906 from Madrona logs and stone found on-site by Chris Fisher and his son Edward. The post and beam construction, with the log infill, sits intact as originally built. Larry Fisher, Chris Fisher’s great-grandson, still works occasionally on the inn. It was opened in May 1907 as part of a large recreation retreat then-called Still Park. The inn and park were developed by Judge Lester Still. The park also had camping, cabins, horse trails, tennis courts and a warm salt water swimming pool. A collection of pictures from that period remain in a history collection at the inn.

The inn originally contained 15 sleeping rooms upstairs and a large gathering room downstairs with a two sided fire place. The fireplace was faced with native stone; it still forms the central meeting place for the inn. Daily steamers from both Seattle and Everett

Everett

- Places :* Everett, Washington, the county seat and largest city in Washington state's Snohomish County*Naval Station Everett* Everett, Massachusetts, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts north of Boston* Everett, Pennsylvania, in Bedford County, Pennsylvania...

 were the original links to the outside world bringing passengers, supplies and mail to the dock located at the eastward-facing front of the inn. Parts of the original dock and stone stairway can still be seen while walking the current pier. Automobile

Automobile

An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...

 access was available via ferry before Deception Pass Bridge

Deception Pass Bridge

The Deception Pass Bridge is a two-lane bridge connecting Whidbey Island to Fidalgo Island in the U.S. state of Washington. It was a Washington State Highways project, and included project elements built by young workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps...

 was completed in 1935; Judge Still is credited with bringing the first automobile to Whidbey Island

Whidbey Island

Whidbey Island is one of nine islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is located about north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington...

. The vehicle can still be seen at the Island County Historical Society Museum. Over time, the Inn has variously served as a general store, girl’s school, and post office. The property returned to offering accommodations open to the public in 1946.

Present

Today, the inn appears very similar to the way it was when it was built. The original wood floors are still visible in both the lobby and the bar. The large gathering room has become the dining room, kitchen, and Judge Stills Tavern. Over the years, electricity as well as high speed cable and wifi have been installed and upgraded throughout the building. The original inn now houses two suites and 10 regular rooms upstairs overlooking Penn cove and the gardens. The original cabins are now gone and have been replaced by four waterside cabins with hot tubs and kitchens. Guests can arrive either by car or at the inns dock by boat or float plane.

External links

• Visitor's site
• Frommer's
• Fodor's
• Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce
• http://www.cometocoupeville.com/