LANGLEY — Concern over the future of the Dog House, a Langley landmark since the turn of the last century, may prompt the city council to take action to preserve the beloved watering hole.
Some in town fear the future of Langley’s historic tavern, and are concerned that the building could be torn down if the property is sold to a new owner.
Recently, Clinton resident Susan Jensen told others that an employee at the tavern told her that the building was for sale and that an offer was nearly accepted where the new owner would have torn down the building.
Jensen’s concern prompted a discussion on the Langley Community Forum Website about the possibilities of preserving the building.
Subsequently, Councilman Robert Gilman will bring the concerns raised by residents to the attention of the Langley City Council tonight at its regular council meeting, he said.
Gilman will ask city planner Larry Cort to give the city council an update on possibilities to protect historic sites.
The Dog House is listed with the National Register of Historic Places, the nation’s official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. That doesn’t mean that it is safe from being torn down though.
The city could pass an ordinance to protect the building, however.
Gilman said he doubts an in-depth discussion will happen at tonight’s meeting; the agenda is full and Cort had no time to prepare a presentation.
“I don’t want to get anybody’s hopes up,” he said.
However, Gilman added that Cort has worked on preservation issues before and will be a great source of knowledge.
Cort said for Langley to protect its historic buildings, the city would need to take an inventory of its old buildings and look at what the community considers keepers.
Then, the city could use a number of tools to help protect historic sites by restricting major changes or demolition.
Cort warned it may be too early to rally the community around the Dog House.
“We haven’t heard — officially or unofficially — about somebody wanting to demolish the Dog House,” he said.
The Dog House has been for sale for several months and was placed on the market following the death last year of longtime owner Pete Jacobs.
Julie Jacobs, the current owner, could not be reached for comment.
Even though a renovation project in the late 1990s took care of some structural problems of the building, some believe a new owner could decide to demolish the old wooden building to make way for modern construction.
“The building has had some recent work done on it supposedly so that it’s sound. It has so much history and great potential to being a community asset,” Jensen said.
The Dog House started out as the home of the Olympic Athletic Club about a hundred years ago, and has been an island favorite as a venue for entertainment, a game of pool or a cold beer for decades.
