Seattle, Washington story
A Floating Legacy
Imagine living your life on the water, drifting slightly with the tide of Lake Union. The Wagner House is one of Seattle's oldest surviving houseboats, built around 1909. For deca…
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Imagine living your life on the water, drifting slightly with the tide of Lake Union. The Wagner House is one of Seattle's oldest surviving houseboats, built around 1909. For decades, the houseboats of Lake Union have attracted those seeking a non-traditional way of living—the dreamers, the artists, and those who didn't quite fit into the rigid boxes of mainland society.
Dick and Colleen Wagner eventually turned this floating home into the Center for Wooden Boats in 1968, preserving a different kind of history. It's a reminder that Seattle's identity has always been shaped by people who were brave enough to live outside the lines and find their own rhythm on the water.
Updated June 2026