Have a picnic, help Ebey’s Landing reserve at the ferry house

For the first time since 2010, the historic Ferry House, located in Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, will open briefly to the public.

August 14, 2012 5:40 pm
The Ferry House will open to the public Aug. 18 for tours. The Coupeville landmark hasn’t been open since 2010.
The Ferry House will open to the public Aug. 18 for tours. The Coupeville landmark hasn’t been open since 2010.

By RECORD STAFF

For the first time since 2010, the historic Ferry House, located in Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, will open briefly to the public.

The Ferry House will open to the public Saturday, Aug. 18 as part of a fundraiser for the Ebey’s Forever Fund. It will provide a chance for residents to take guided tours of the historic building and enjoy a picnic with local food and music, said a news release.

General admission tickets cost $75 for the event that goes from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Ferry House was built in 1860 on the donation land claim of Isaac Ebey. The building served boat traffic between Port Townsend and Coupeville, as well as a post office and a rendezvous point for mariners anchored at Penn Cove, Oak Harbor and Port Townsend.

Officials opened the ferry house to the public in 2010 when Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve received a Partners in Preservation grant. That grant helped fund a stabilization project and rebuild the structure’s front porch.

Admission tickets for the day include a dinner by Serendipity Catering, local music and a raffle. Docents from the Jacob Ebey House will lead tours of the house from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The docents have expanded their understanding of the Reserve’s history through the documented experiences of the Ebey family.

A limited number of “Golden Tickets” are available. It addition to the picnic, people will also participate in an intimate tour of three buildings on the National Historic Register: the Comstock Barn built in 1939, the Engle Water Tower built in 1911 and the Sheepherder’s House built around 1900. Golden tickets are $200 per person or $350 per couple.

The picnic and tours will also serve to raise money for the Ebey’s Forever Fund, which was established to help owners of historic homes within the Reserve offset the costs needed to repair and rehabilitate their structures.

An anonymous donor has offered a $75,000 challenge for the yearly fundraiser for the Ebey’s Forever Fund. The donor will match every dollar raised in 2012 up to the $75,000 mark. Proceeds from the tickets will be matched dollar for dollar.

Tickets are available at www.ebeysforeverfund.org or by calling 360-678-6084.