Time & Again: A vanished hotspot where the good times rolled

Published 1:30 am Thursday, September 28, 2023

Recently, my friend Hal Green, who owns Triplebrook Farm on Westside Highway with his wife Molly, called and asked if I knew anything about the Cove Community Hall.

In fact, I had never heard about the Cove Community Hall.

Hal told me, “Every time I walk along Westside Highway past the site, I look at the still-visible concrete steps, and am reminded of the good times I had in the hall as a boy. I had a pair of roller skates, and the only place I could use them was the floor in the hall. Some considered it the best dance floor on the Island.”

Hal’s question was all it took to motivate me to talk with Mike Sudduth and to begin a research project to suss out as much information as we could find about the Cove Community Hall. We then recruited Hal and photographer Terry Donnelly to undertake an expedition to the site to explore the remnants of the meeting hall.

The Cove Community Hall was built in 1920 and served the community for nearly 30 years before it was sold in the 1940s and then demolished in 1948. Within a year after being built in 1920, the debt to construct the building was paid off “due to the hearty cooperation of the members and their numerous friends.”

This gathering place was so popular that the July 14, 1922, issue of the Vashon Island News-Record reported, “The members of the Cove Community Hall have found their building too small to accommodate the crowds who attend the entertainments and dances, so they are going to hold a Nickel Carnival Aug. 11 and 12 to help raise the necessary funds to build on a stage, dressing rooms, and new kitchen, using the old kitchen as a gentlemen’s cloakroom.”

The Cove Community Hall was used for a variety of events including dances, community gatherings, Columbia School graduations, and celebrations.

In September 1938, Mrs. Charles A. Renouf (Lucille Clarke), who had come to Cove in 1904, was quoted in the Vashon Island News-Record, “What happy times we had in our Cove Hall! Dances and parties and social gatherings of all kinds, when one met his neighbors in whole-hearted comradeship! It was here that our own golden wedding anniversary was observed just six years ago, on May 31, when over 50 friends and neighbors celebrated the day with us.”

At this time, newspapers referred to women by their husbands’ names, not their own names, thus “Mrs. Charles A. Renouf,” instead of Lucille Renouf.

The hall was used in September 1933 to celebrate the successful feral cat hunt by the Vashon Sportsmen’s Club.

The Vashon Island News-Record reported, “Cat Hunters Entertained At Cove Last Friday Eve – The mighty cat hunters of the Vashon Island Sportsmen’s Club are also mighty as entertainers. They put on a fried chicken dinner last Friday evening at the Cove Community Hall that could not be surpassed. Although the original bargain was that the contestants of the losing side were to entertain only their opponents, an invitation was extended to the entire membership of the organization. Music was furnished by Amos Frombach and Glen Willers, on the accordion and guitar, while D. Bailey added some fine old-time violin selections.”

At the time, feral cats were a major problem for island chicken farmers.

The March 16, 1949 issue of Island Views, a photographic illustrated newspaper edited by islander Marian Fitch, reported sad news: “The Cove Community Hall, a landmark along the West Side since 1920, has been completely demolished. Only the concrete steps leading to the front door remind those passing by of the many good times that the building afforded the residents of Cove and Colvos.”

The article continued, “Originally the building was on the east side of the road but when the Farm-to-Market was built [in 1931], the Community Hall was moved to the west side of the road. Another room with a fireplace was added at that time. The floor was known as the best for dancing on the whole Island, and people came from the various sections of Vashon and Maury whenever there was a dance.”

On January 23, 1942, two months after World War II began for Americans with the attack on Pearl Harbor, a special meeting was held at the home of Mrs. Nellie Doyle. The Vashon Island News-Record reported, “An offer for purchase of the hall has been made and it is necessary to decide on its disposition. All members are urged to attend. The Cove Community Hall has stood as a landmark for many years and was a scene of many happy neighborhood gatherings. In recent years it has not been used and rather than have it deteriorate further the officers are calling this meeting to ascertain the opinion of the membership [on the] disposal of the hall.”

The community decided to sell the hall to George Haugland who “plans to use the lumber to build a home for himself.”

“The land adjoins Triplebrook Farm, which is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Athol Green, and with the razing of the building, the land reverts to the Greens.”

Hal Green, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Athol Green, asked the original question of what I knew about the Cove Community Hall. His question led to discovering this rich history of a local community hall, and to the “expedition” to explore the site and photograph what remained: the concrete steps, the brick fireplace, and the numerous bottles and reminders of past events and celebrations.

Bruce Haulman is an island historian and Terry Donnelly is an island photographer.