Front Street
Coupeville, Washington
Robertson Wharf
1883 - The Wharf was added to the west side of the Robertson Store (Now Toby's at #8 Front Street.) The end of the wharf had at least three buildings on it and enough room to turn a horse and wagon saving the problems of reversing it. For many years it was a major terminus for Coupeville and the Island.
Front Street about 1883
Showing that Robertson must have built the wharf (on the left) before he built the building at #10
Courtesy: Island County Historical Museum, Coupeville
Robertson's Wharf as seen from one of the ferries. Note that the Sedge building stands alone in the background so this picture must have been taken between 1883 and 1890
Courtesy: Island County Historical Museum, Coupeville
Robertson's Wharf as seen from one of the ferries. The people in this picture are the same ones as the picture above. Note that the Bowers and Kineth building (#12 Front Street) is shown so these pictures could not have been taken before 1886.
Courtesy: Island County Historical Museum, Coupeville
Robertson's Wharf with one of the ferries. Note that the Sedge building stands alone on the right so this picture must have been taken between 1883 and 1890
Courtesy: Island County Historical Museum, Coupeville
Eastern Front Street from the Wharf. This picture is from 1886 after the Blowers and Kineth building was built but before the Library / Town Hall was built.
Courtesy: Island County Historical Museum, Coupeville
The eastern part of Front Street as seen from the Wharf. The buildings indicate that this picture was taken after 1896 but before railings were added to the Wharf
Courtesy: Island County Historical Museum, Coupeville
View of the western part of Front Street from the wharf. Note that the Sill House (light one on the right) was moved by 1914. The F.A.Bartlett house and wharf to the right of the Sill house are no longer there either. Picture taken in 1895.
Courtesy: Island County Historical Museum, Coupeville
Robertson's Wharf as seen from an upstairs window of #12 Front Street (Blowers and Kineth building) and taken about the same time as the picture above.
Courtesy: Leone Argent Private Collection
Sternwheeler "Fairhaven" approaches Robertson's Wharf as seen from the Sedge building
Courtesy: Island County Historical Museum, Coupeville
Robertson's Wharf as seen from Lovejoy Point
Taken sometime between 1900 (mansart roof on the Glenwood Hotel) and 1905 (current Wharf built)
Courtesy: Island County Historical Museum, Coupeville
A Sanborn fire map for 1914 shows the Wharf to be in place, but the 1930 map has it removed so the Wharf must have been lost between these dates.
The Robinson's Wharf at the end of life sometime before 1930.
Courtesy: The private collection of Don Lee.
* All the interviews are extracted from the Judy Lynn's Oral History Project. Judy Lynn interviewed everyone she could find who had any memories of the history of Front Street. For more information on the project contact the Whidbey Island Historical Musem, Coupeville.
The e-book Front Street, Coupeville - An Oral History by Judy Lynn contains all the interviews. It can be purchased for $9.99 at Amazon.com for Kindle application or device or from the Apple Store for iBooks applications. Proceeds go to the Island County Historical Society.
