Seattle, Washington story
A Floating Summer Escape
Long before Lake Union was a hub of tech and houseboats, there was a trend for floating summer homes. Around 1909, a unique home was built on Lake Washington near Madison Park. It…
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Long before Lake Union was a hub of tech and houseboats, there was a trend for floating summer homes. Around 1909, a unique home was built on Lake Washington near Madison Park. It was designed for leisure, a floating retreat for the summer months.
This vessel eventually made its way to Lake Union, where it was bought in the 1950s by Richard Wagner. Dick and Colleen Wagner didn't just live on it; they transformed it into the foundation for the Center for Wooden Boats. Now known as the Wagner House, it's one of the oldest surviving houseboats in the city and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
It's a floating piece of history that reminds us how Seattle's relationship with the water has always been about both utility and escape.
Updated June 2026