Seattle, Washington story
A Floating Legacy
Lake Union is famous for its houseboats, but the Wagner House is something special. Built around 1909 or 1912, it actually began its life as a summer home on Lake Washington near…
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Lake Union is famous for its houseboats, but the Wagner House is something special. Built around 1909 or 1912, it actually began its life as a summer home on Lake Washington near Madison Park. In the 1950s, Dick Wagner bought the vessel and eventually moved it here.
Together with his wife Colleen, Dick converted the floating home into the headquarters for the Center for Wooden Boats, which they founded in 1968. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Wagner House stands as one of Seattle's oldest surviving houseboats. It's a floating piece of history that transitioned from a private getaway to a public treasure for maritime lovers.
Updated June 2026