After several years of volunteer work to purchase and preserve a historic Coupeville structure, the effort has come to an unfortunate end.
The nonprofit group Historic Whidbey announced last week that the efforts to purchase the Haller House and turn it into a territorial heritage center came to an end without success.
The effort of this group is applaudable. Members worked diligently to save and preserve this monument to Whidbey Island’s earliest days as a settlement.
While it’s unquestionably dissapointing for members of Historic Whidbey that they weren’t successful in their quest, it bears noting that the Haller House is far from headed to an untimely demise.
Current owner Joan McPherson said she and her family have no plans to demolish or otherwise alter the structure.
McPherson, a former Island County Superior Court judge, told the Whidbey News-Times last week that “the Haller House has stood for 150 years and will be around for another 150.”
We believe that McPherson and her family, whose own home and law offices are located across the street in another historic building, are earnest in their words.
But the simple fact is, the McPhersons own the Haller House and are under no obligation to sell it. What happens, or doesn’t happen, is totally within their purview.
That the McPhersons held off on a planned sale and instead worked with the preservation group for as long as they did is commendable and shows good faith.
Hopefully, if they choose to sell, the McPhersons will locate a buyer who also values the historic importance of the home.
The Haller House, built in 1866, is among 30 surviving “early settlement era” structures, dating between 1850s to 1870s, out of more than 400 historic buildings within the reserve listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
While Historic Whidbey’s efforts have come to an end, hopefully it’s only the beginning for the Haller House. If the house goes up for sale again, Ebey’s National Historical Reserve staff have said they are committed to working with Realtors and potential buyers to try to maintain the integrity as much as possible.
And that is good news for those who cherish Whidbey Island history.
