County museum urgently needs storage space, board members

The Island County Historical Society is looking for a space to house part of its collection.

By Luisa Loi • December 3, 2024 1:30 am
(Photo provided) The Island County Historical Museum displays a wide variety of artifacts, like mammoth fossils, indigenous woven baskets, the first car ever to come to Whidbey and many objects that belonged to the island’s first settler families.
(Photo provided) The Island County Historical Museum displays a wide variety of artifacts, like mammoth fossils, indigenous woven baskets, the first car ever to come to Whidbey and many objects that belonged to the island’s first settler families.

The Island County Historical Society is looking for a space to temporarily house part of its collection.

The Historical Society has less than a month to move its artifacts out of Camp Casey, the historic property that Seattle Pacific University is selling to the YMCA of Snohomish County after 70 years of ownership.

According to Executive Director Dalva Church, the Historical Society’s collection has long outgrown the museum located at 908 Northwest Alexander Street in Coupeville. In 2015, the storage space on the first floor of the museum was emptied to make room for the Native people exhibit, requiring the society to keep part of its collection somewhere else

Since July 2022, that place has been Camp Casey’s historic gymnasium, which the society has been renting for $400 a month, Church said. Before that, the artifacts that weren’t exhibited were stored at the South Whidbey School District’s former administration building.

According to Camp Casey’s director, Jake Carlson, the original lease was set to expire in June 2023, but after discussing with the Historical Society, Seattle Pacific University decided to extend the lease to June 2024 and finally to Dec. 20, 2024. Seattle Pacific University has owned Camp Casey for 70 years.

The recent acquisition of Camp Casey by the YMCA of Snohomish County, announced in October, had no bearing on the decision not to further extend the lease, Carlson clarified in an email on Dec. 5.

“All of these decisions were made based on Camp Casey’s intention to return the gymnasium to its use as a recreational facility, and all of these decisions were made by Seattle Pacific University,” he wrote.

The YMCA will take over operations on Jan. 1, continuing to run Camp Casey as a center for retreats, conferences, camp programs and educational opportunities. Church expressed appreciation for the partnership with Camp Casey and Seattle Pacific University over the past two years.

Last week, the Historical Society’s plans to move to another location fell through due to insurance issues on the property owner’s part, Church said, leaving the society in urgent need of a space that could store about 1,500 square feet of artifacts — which currently include an organ, the bellows from Whidbey’s last blacksmith, and relics from the island’s Indigenous inhabitants and European pioneer families.

With a monthly budget of $500, the society is in a time crunch to find a secure space that is between 1,500 and 2,000 square feet with outlets that a humidifier or a dehumidifier can be plugged into, as antiques can’t stay in environments that are too humid or dry, she said.

Because of the lack of outlets, large storage containers are not a feasible option. However, a pole barn with a cement floor or an unused office space would be good, she said.

The closer to the museum, the better. As exhibits rotate periodically, frequent and long trips may increase the chances of damaging the artifacts, Church said.

Church said the museum would need the space for at least a year, which should give the society enough time to find affordable property to build a storage space on.

At the same time, the board is in need of new members as the terms of half its members are coming to an end at the end of the year.

“We’re kind of feeling a little bit of a pinch at this moment in time,” she said.

While the minimum number of seats to fill is four, Church hopes to bring the board to full capacity, so welcoming six new members would be ideal.

While unpaid, the position is fun and rewarding, Church said. The board oversees every aspect of the museum’s business, and has the final say in decisions.

Anyone with community connections or business, financial, nonprofit, fundraising or leadership skills is welcome to apply, no history expertise required, Church said.

The board will vote at the end of January, so Church recommends applying in December.

Prospective candidates from Whidbey and Camano or anyone who wishes to offer a space for storage can contact Church at ed-ichs@whidbey.net, call the museum at 360-678-3310, or visit the museum from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

“In the climate and times that we live in, I think that it’s really important to preserve and learn from our history,” Church said.

This story was edited on Dec. 5 to clarify that the YMCA’s purchase of Camp Casey had no effect on the Island County Historical Society’s need to vacate the gymnasium, as the society’s lease was set to expire on Dec. 20 after being extended twice by Seattle Pacific University.