page_title: Wagner Houseboat
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Wagner Houseboat / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Shows a group of men and women canoeing. Subjects (LCTGM): Houseboats--Washington (State)--Seattle; Canoes--Washington (State)--Seattle; Women--Washington (State)--Seattle; Men--Washington (State)--Seattle Subjects (LCSH): Washington, Lake (Wash.)
context_page_description: The Wagner Houseboat, also known as The Old Boathouse is a historic floating home in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is located on Lake Union at 2770 Westlake Avenue North near the Aurora Bridge. It was built in 1912 and named for Richard Wagner, who bought it in the 1950s. Wagner and his wife Colleen later founded the Center for Wooden Boats, which was based out of their houseboat.
  Today, the Wagner Boathouse represents the transition of South Lake Union from industrial use to a residential community. The houseboat is also one of few remaining relics of the floating resort communities that were once prominent on Lake Washington.
  As one of Seattle's oldest houseboats, the Wagner Houseboat was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 19, 1982.
context_section_description: The construction of houseboats and other floating structures became popular in the Pacific Northwest during the late 19th century, beginning as cheap shelter for laborers in the lumber and fishing industries. The rowdy behavior of these floating home inhabitants quickly gave houseboats an unfavorable image due to the illegal activity that often took place on the waters edge. The construction of streetcars and cable cars to the Lake Washington waterfront caused houseboats to become associated with wealthier residents, who used them for social gatherings. During the height of their popularity, approximately 4,000 houseboats rested on the waterways in and around Seattle, however those numbers declined to nearly 500 during the 1950s.  
  The Wagner Houseboat was built in 1912 and originally docked near Madison Park. In 1938, the city of Seattle required houseboats on Lake Washington to be connected to sewer lines after installing lines along the shores of the lake. The requirement to add expensive sewer lines caused a mass migration of houseboats from Lake Washington to Lake Union, where there was no sewer requirement until 1967. In 1938, the Wagner Houseboat was towed from Lake Washington to its current location on Lake Union.
caption: Houseboat on Lake Washington: 1912
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