Historic Langley

Circa 1907: Residence

Circa 1907. Two story residence (red arrow) at the corner of Second Street and Anthes Avenue (Courtesy Island County Historical Society).

A two-story residence built prior to 1906 at the corner of Second Street and Anthes Avenue burned in the mid 1920's. According to John McLeod who was 9 or 10 years old at the time, "The house burned right down to the ground. I was down there barefooted and ran a rusty nail through my foot. My mother pulled it out and put a poultice of cow manure on the bottom of my foot to suck it right out. Didn't have any trouble at all."

1952: Union Gas Station

1952. Union Gas Station (courtesy Lloyd Carter).

The lot remained vacant until Lloyd Carter built a gas station there in 1952. After Lloyd Carter, Wayne Cornet ran Wayne's Auto Rebuild there.

1971. Wayne's Auto Rebuild (Courtesy Anna Primavaera).

The area that initially covered the gas pumps was enclosed and several businesses next operated out of the building, including a Laundromat.

Paul Samuelson bought the building and moved his barbershop there in the late 1980's. "When I bought that property it was on the outskirts of the business of Langley. Everybody wanted to be on First Street." According to Paul, there was a Laundromat on one side and vacant on the other.

Paul had his barbershop in the building for several years then sold the business to Andrea Brown who had the Studio A beauty parlor. The Bunkers then had a branch of their Whidbey Antiques business there until 2005.

2007. Artist's Gallery (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

The Artist's Cooperative Gallery next occupied the building from 2006 to 2008. Russell Sparkman's FusionSpark Media occupied the building until December, 2013 when the Langley Main Street office moved in. Main Street volunteers removed the vines that had overgrown the front and south side of the structure.

When the Main Street office relocated, the Langley Whale Center moved into the building on March 1, 2014.

2014. Langley Whale Center (Courtesy Lorinda Kay).

Gasoline tanks left from the gas station were removed from in front of the Whale Center in 2015.

2015. Gas tanks removed (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

2015. Gas tanks removed (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

2017: Whidbey Telecom Office

2017. Whidbey Telecom (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

The Whale Center moved next door in 2016, and Whidbey Telecom opened an office in the building in 2017.

The sign for Wayne's Auto Rebuild on the south side of the structure was uncovered during remodeling the building.

2017. Wayne's Auto Rebuild sign (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

2017: Future Telephone Museum

2019. Future Telephone Museum (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

The future museum building has a long history.

1914: Langley State Bank

The wooden building was constructed at the corner of First Street and Anthes in 1914 to house the Langley State Bank.

1914. Langley State Bank (Courtesy Island County Historical Society).

When a new Langley State Bank building was constructed on the site in 1922, the original bank was moved a short distance south along Anthes Avenue and became the office of the Whidby (sic) Telephone Company.

Circa 1926. Looking south on Anthes Avenue from First Street (Courtesy South Whidbey Historical Society).

1928. Telephone operator Henrietta Schumaker (Courtesy Kelly Crouse).

1953: Telephone Company purchased from Ernest Noble by David Henny. The name was changed from "Whidby" to "Whidbey" Telephone Company when the "e" was restored to to the name of the Island in the mid 1950's.

1958. Whidbey Telephone Company Office (Courtesy Robert Noble).

After the Telephone Company office moved to Bayview in 1961, Ernie Noble moved the vacant building to his property along the south side of Edgecliff Drive where it sat until 1969 when Dean Grisham spotted it as an ideal location for his business.

Mr. Noble moved the structure to his property on Camano Ave. across from the Fairgrounds and painted it red to match the fairgrounds buildings.

1969. Former Telephone Office on lot across from the Fairgrounds (Courtesy Ben Breedlove).

1969: Dean Grisham's real estate business occupied the building.

1969. Dean Grisham's real estate and insurance office (courtesy Dean Grisham).

A barber shop replaced the Grisham Real Estate business, and an addition was added to the side of the building to house the Stadler Photographic Studio.

2007. Addition housing Stadler Photographic Studio (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

2007: building moved

When the Noble property was acquired for an Island Transit Park and Ride lot and new fire station, the building had to be either demolished or moved. The Whidbey Telecom Company began negotiations with the South Whidbey Historical Society and City of Langley in an attempt to find a site to locate the building as a telephone museum.

The old bank/telephone office was designated a "building of historic significance" by the City in 2007. The building and its addition were separated and both moved by the Whidbey Telecom Co. to their property on Third Street and DeBruyn Ave. on May 5, 2007.

2007. Move of the building begins (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

2007. Move of the building begins (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

2007. Building halves on lot at Third Street and DeBruyn Avenue (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

2019: Building relocated to Second Street

The historic building was moved down Second Street to it's present location next to the Whidbey Telecom property on June 1, 2019.

2019. Building being placed in current location (Courtesy Robert Waterman)

2022. Future Telephone Museum (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

2021: Grayhorse Mercantile

Remodeling of the interior of the Whidbey Telecom building began, and Jennifer Sadinsky opened Grayhorse Mercantile in the front portion of the building in December.

2021. Grayhorse Mercantile (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

Remodeling was completed, and the business occupied the entire building in 2022.

2022. Grayhorse Mercantile (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

Colleen Miller opened a Beginner Watercolor workshop in the building in 2024.

2024. Watercolor studio in front room (Courtesy Robert Waterman).