The Westport
Maritime Museum
2201
Westhaven Drive
Westport, WA
September 12th, 1998
On the Washington coast,
opposite Seattle, is Grays Harbor. This harbor with its jetty
system has long been a haven for fishermen, both commercial and
sports. Over time the area has developed into a tourist
attraction which holds something for everybody. As we wandered
around the shores one day, we came upon Westport. It's public
pier and marina area are lined with the kind of shops one would
expect to find. Gifts and T-shirt outlets, galleries and
eateries. Off in the distance is the 123 foot Grays Harbor
lighthouse, built in 1897, and long since
replaced (1992) by a modern lighting system. Walking tours of the
area are available through the Museum. The Westport/South Beach
Historical Society's Maritime Museum was originally built as a
Coast Guard station in 1940. This picturesque building , done in
the Nantucket style prevalent during the thirties, includes three
stories, six gables and a widow's walk. The station housed 20
enlisted men until the Coast Guard moved to new quarters in 1973.
In 1976 the property was acquired by the city of
Westport and in 1985, the building was turned over to the
Historical Society. The Society turned the station into a great
museum, full of interesting artifacts that tell of whaling,
fishing and cranberries in the local area. The mess hall walls
are covered with old photographs of the original station. The Day
Room contains photos and memorabilia from the logging and
cranberry industries. This part of Washington
is known as the Cranberry Coast and produces almost as much of the
tangy berry as is produced in New England. Both wet harvest and
dry harvest are described along with the tools and techniques of
this very different type of farming. All around the town are
cranberry bogs and it was worth our time to sit on the banks and
watch, as cranberries were harvested in late Fall.