A new chapter begins for historic Swansonville Church

Nick Twietmeyer reported in the Port Townsend Leader about how the historic Christian Congregational Church of Port Ludlow (aka Swansonville Church) as a registered Washington historic site.

Today, a boarded-up doorway, a wall made of tarp, a bell tower that is visibly leaning away from the rest of the building, are the current hallmarks of the Swansonville Church. But, with any luck, the church will outlast its current state of disrepair as it’s outlived so many other things over the past century.    

The listing of the church on the Washington Heritage Register is just one step for Terra Coyan, Jessie Michaels and Jake Thomas in their pursuit to preserve, restore and ultimately re-open the church to the community of Port Ludlow.

“I think the fact that this is the last historic community building left standing in Port Ludlow — that really puts it into such a dire need of having it protected,” Coyan said. 

“Everything has been removed in Port Ludlow as far as any historical ties,” she added. “Swansonville itself is still intact as far as semi-historic homesteads and so forth, but as far as a public community building, this is the last piece.”

Michaels said their endeavor was not without a personal element, though, as both she and Coyan lived on Werner Road and passed the church daily.

“For quite a few years, we would go by it and see its demise,” Michaels said. “It was getting worse and worse and we said, ‘We have to save it.’”

Read the full article here.