Historic Langley

1947: Liquor Store

Circa 1965. Liquor store (Courtesy South Whidbey Historical Society).

Built as a Washington State liquor store in 1947 following a dispute between Fern M. Brewer, proprietor of the local drug store and authorized dealer, and Orval A Lowe, recently appointed by the state liquor control board to take over the local agency. The "Crux of the row is the contention of some Island County Democrats that Mrs. Brewer is not a Democrat, did not actively support (Governor) Wallgren during his campaign for office and refused permission to a Democratic worker to put a Wallgren poster in her drug store window." (Whidbey Record, September 20, 1945).

1971: Liquor Store bought by Glen and Josh Hauser.

Circa 1970. Liquor Store (left) and adjacent building (Courtesy Josh Hauser).

The Liquor Store and adjacent building that housed the Saint Vincent de Paul thrift store were purchased by Glen and Josh Hauser in 1971. According to Josh Hauser, "The liquor store was a turquoise-colored concrete block building when we bought it. Glen designed and built a wood facade on it to make it look better." The Hausers transformed the former thrift store into the Moonraker Bookstore that opened in 1972.

The previous owners of the liquor store opened a partition between the liquor store and the adjacent building and used the front portion of (the Moonraker) for a candy store. There is a door between the two buildings that was boarded up by Saint Vincent DePaul.

According to Josh Hauser, Glen took it over and ran the liquor store for a couple years with his brother-in-law because we had a daughter in college and needed some sort of reasonable income. Several others then ran it, including Langley's ex-mayor Lloyd Smith.

A second story was added above the Liquor Store in 1977 and served as an addition to the Moonraker bookstore next door.

Circa 1985. Second floor addition above the Liquor Store (Courtesy Langley City Hall).

1997: Roberta clothing store.

2017. Roberta Clothing. (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

After the Liquor Store moved to the Langley Village development on Second Street in 1992, the building became home to the Roberta clothing store from 1997 to 2017 when Roberta retired.

2017: Flying Bear Flowers

2017. Flying Bear Flowers (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

Benjamin Courteau and Melissa Brown opened Flying Bear Flowers in the building in 2017.