Marrowstone, Washington
Encyclopedia
Marrowstone is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Jefferson County
, Washington, USA. The population was 837 at the 2000 census. All Marrowstone addresses are in Nordland, Washington, and the ZIP code
for Marrowstone Island is 98358.
Marrowstone takes its name from Marrowstone Point, the northernmost point on Marrowstone Island. It was given the name "Marrow-Stone Point" in 1792 by the British explorer George Vancouver
, descriptive of the hard, clayey soil.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.4 km²), all of it land.
Prominent land features include:
A narrow land bridge connects the southwestern end of Marrowstone Island with the southern end of Indian Island. It is necessary to cross a short bridge on the western side of Indian Island to get to the Jefferson County
mainland.
Fort Flagler
, a Washington state park, is situated on 784 acres (314 hectares) at the northern end of Marrowstone Island. It overlooks Port Townsend Bay and Admiralty Inlet
, the entrance to Puget Sound
. Fort Flagler was one of three forts, along with Fort Worden
(near Port Townsend) and Fort Casey
(on Whidbey Island), that guarded the entrance to Puget Sound. Mystery Bay State Park
is another state park on Marrowstone Island, located on 10 acres (4 hectares) of Mystery Bay shorefront about a half-mile north of the Nordland General Store. It is primarily for boaters. Kinney Point State Park
comprises 76 acres (307,561.4 m²) at the south end of the island. Accessible only by boat, it is part of the Cascadia Marine Trail
.
Flagler Road (SR 116) runs along the western edge of Marrowstone Island, which is primarily low-lying. East Marrowstone Road runs along the eastern edge of the island, which consists largely of sandy bluffs, with the exception of the area near East Beach.
The Nordland General Store is Marrowstone's only source of groceries. It is arguably the focal point of Marrowstone; on maps the town of Nordland (the address of all Marrowstone residents) is usually located at the site of the Nordland General Store. It can be found just across Flagler Road from Mystery Bay, near the center of Marrowstone Island.
of 2000, there were 837 people, 395 households, and 263 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 132.4 people per square mile (51.1/km²). There were 528 housing units at an average density of 83.5/sq mi (32.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.89% White, 0.36% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.24% from other races
, and 2.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.43% of the population.
There were 395 households out of which 18.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% were married couples
living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.54.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 15.2% under the age of 18, 2.4% from 18 to 24, 18.0% from 25 to 44, 36.2% from 45 to 64, and 28.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $38,182, and the median income for a family was $41,607. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $26,607 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $22,028. None of the families and 4.0% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 12.6% of those over 64.
) and air temperatures are about the same.http://peninsuladailynews.com/sited/story/html/226513 On more than one occasion, there has been standing ice on the water in the days prior to the Polar Bear Dip.
Strawberries were once grown all over Marrowstone and can be found growing wild on the island.
, in Bellingham, Washington
– was held at Fort Flagler on the northern end of Marrowstone Island from 1952 until 1989. http://www.marrowstone.com/brief2.html
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Washington
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington, named after Thomas Jefferson. As of 2010, the population was 29,872. The county seat is at Port Townsend, which is also the county's only incorporated city....
, Washington, USA. The population was 837 at the 2000 census. All Marrowstone addresses are in Nordland, Washington, and the ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
for Marrowstone Island is 98358.
Marrowstone takes its name from Marrowstone Point, the northernmost point on Marrowstone Island. It was given the name "Marrow-Stone Point" in 1792 by the British explorer George Vancouver
George Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
, descriptive of the hard, clayey soil.
Geography
Marrowstone is located at 48°3′30"N 122°41′17"W (48.058323, -122.687943).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.4 km²), all of it land.
Prominent land features include:
- Marrowstone Point, at the northern end of Marrowstone Island;
- Nodule Point, at the southern end of the island;
- Mystery Bay, an inlet on the western side of Marrowstone Island;
- Griffiths Point, on the western side of Mystery Bay;
- East Beach, a sandy beach at the northern end of East Marrowstone Road; and
- Scow Bay/Kilisut Harbor, which separates Marrowstone Island from its western neighbor, Indian Island, a NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
ammunition depot.
A narrow land bridge connects the southwestern end of Marrowstone Island with the southern end of Indian Island. It is necessary to cross a short bridge on the western side of Indian Island to get to the Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Washington
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington, named after Thomas Jefferson. As of 2010, the population was 29,872. The county seat is at Port Townsend, which is also the county's only incorporated city....
mainland.
Fort Flagler
Fort Flagler State Park
Fort Flagler State Park is a Washington state park on the site of Fort Flagler, a former United States Army fort at the northern end of Marrowstone Island. From Fort Flagler, visitors can see Port Townsend to the northwest, the cranes at the Navy base on Indian Island to the west, and Whidbey...
, a Washington state park, is situated on 784 acres (314 hectares) at the northern end of Marrowstone Island. It overlooks Port Townsend Bay and Admiralty Inlet
Admiralty Inlet
Admiralty Inlet is a strait in the U.S. state of Washington connecting the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Puget Sound. It lies between Whidbey Island and the northeastern part of the Olympic Peninsula....
, the entrance to Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
. Fort Flagler was one of three forts, along with Fort Worden
Fort Worden
Fort Worden and accompanying Fort Worden State Park are located in Port Townsend, along Admiralty Inlet in Washington. It is situated on 433 acres originally built as a United States Army installation for the protection of Puget Sound. Fort Worden was named after U.S...
(near Port Townsend) and Fort Casey
Fort Casey
Fort Casey State Park is located on Whidbey Island in Washington state. Admiralty Inlet was considered so strategic to the defense of Puget Sound in the 1890s that three forts, Fort Casey on Whidbey Island, Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island, and Fort Worden at Port Townsend, were built at the...
(on Whidbey Island), that guarded the entrance to Puget Sound. Mystery Bay State Park
Mystery Bay State Park
Mystery Bay State Park is a Washington state park on Mystery Bay, a small inlet off of Scow Bay/Kilisut Harbor on the western side of Marrowstone Island...
is another state park on Marrowstone Island, located on 10 acres (4 hectares) of Mystery Bay shorefront about a half-mile north of the Nordland General Store. It is primarily for boaters. Kinney Point State Park
Kinney Point State Park
Kinney Point State Park in Jefferson County, Washington is a marine camping park in the Washington State Park System. It consists of with of saltwater shoreline at the south end of Marrowstone Island. Campsites are restricted to visitors arriving by human- or wind-powered watercraft. Available...
comprises 76 acres (307,561.4 m²) at the south end of the island. Accessible only by boat, it is part of the Cascadia Marine Trail
Cascadia Marine Trail
The Cascadia Marine Trail is a water trail on Puget Sound.Created in 1993, it is designated as one of the 16 National Millennium Trails and suitable for day or multi-day trips. It has over 50 campsites to visit. People can boat to the campsites from many public and private launch sites or shoreline...
.
Flagler Road (SR 116) runs along the western edge of Marrowstone Island, which is primarily low-lying. East Marrowstone Road runs along the eastern edge of the island, which consists largely of sandy bluffs, with the exception of the area near East Beach.
The Nordland General Store is Marrowstone's only source of groceries. It is arguably the focal point of Marrowstone; on maps the town of Nordland (the address of all Marrowstone residents) is usually located at the site of the Nordland General Store. It can be found just across Flagler Road from Mystery Bay, near the center of Marrowstone Island.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 837 people, 395 households, and 263 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 132.4 people per square mile (51.1/km²). There were 528 housing units at an average density of 83.5/sq mi (32.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.89% White, 0.36% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.24% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.43% of the population.
There were 395 households out of which 18.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.54.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 15.2% under the age of 18, 2.4% from 18 to 24, 18.0% from 25 to 44, 36.2% from 45 to 64, and 28.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $38,182, and the median income for a family was $41,607. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $26,607 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $22,028. None of the families and 4.0% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 12.6% of those over 64.
Polar Bear Dip
At noon on every January 1 since 1994, residents and visitors have gathered on the dock in front of the Nordland General Store for the Polar Bear Dip, organized by store owner Tom Rose. The Nordland General Store sells commemorative shirts and hats each year. Water temperatures are in the forties (FahrenheitFahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
) and air temperatures are about the same.http://peninsuladailynews.com/sited/story/html/226513 On more than one occasion, there has been standing ice on the water in the days prior to the Polar Bear Dip.
Strawberry Festival
For approximately 100 years, Marrowstone has held its annual Strawberry Festival in June. Residents and visitors enjoy strawberry shortcake at Fort Flagler.Strawberries were once grown all over Marrowstone and can be found growing wild on the island.
Tractor Days Parade
Every Memorial Day weekend, island residents bring their tractors to parade them in front of the Nordland General Store.Marrowstone Island Community Association
The Marrowstone Island Community Association hosts the Strawberry Festival each year. It meets about 6 times throughout the year at the Nordland Garden Club Building.Early Home of Marrowstone Music Festival
The Seattle Youth Symphony's Marrowstone Music Festival - now called Marrowstone Summer Music and held on the campus of Western Washington UniversityWestern Washington University
Western Washington University is one of six state-funded, four-year universities of higher education in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Bellingham and offers bachelor's and master's degrees.-History:...
, in Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...
– was held at Fort Flagler on the northern end of Marrowstone Island from 1952 until 1989. http://www.marrowstone.com/brief2.html