Seattle, Washington story
A Floating Legacy
The history of the Wagner Houseboat and the Center for Wooden Boats.
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Some homes are built on land, but the Wagner Houseboat was born for the water. Built around 1909 or 1912, it actually started its life as a summer home on Lake Washington near Madison Park. By the 1950s, it was purchased by Dick Wagner, who began using the space to store and repair boats.
Together with his wife Colleen, Dick transformed this floating structure into the South Lake Union home of the Center for Wooden Boats, founded in 1968. Today, it stands as one of Seattle's oldest surviving houseboats and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As you walk along the shore, think of the countless wooden hulls that have been brought back to life within these floating walls.
Updated June 2026