Maritime Washington
National Heritage Area
In 2019, the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area was designated by Congress to help share and preserve Washington State’s unique maritime heritage resources and stories. Its purpose is to support those who celebrate, maintain, and share our water-based experiences, to strengthen partnerships and increase collaboration, and to enhance the way residents and visitors alike think about and experience our maritime heritage. Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve is an anchor organization for the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area.
What is the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area?
National Heritage Areas are designated by Congress as places where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a nationally important landscape. National Heritage Areas build public-private partnerships to better tell the stories of these places and support communities in maintaining and sharing their unique resources. Although supported by the National Park Service, National Heritage Areas are unique in that they are locally run and completely non-regulatory. There is no change in ownership of land, no added rules or regulations, and participation is completely voluntary.
Spanning 3,000 miles of Washington State’s saltwater shoreline, the new Maritime Washington National Heritage Area (NHA) recognizes our state’s unique and diverse maritime cultures. This heritage area builds partnerships and increases collaboration to support our coastal communities in celebrating, maintaining, and sharing their water-based stories.
Passengers disembarking at the Couepville Wharf. Photo courtesy of National Park Service
Island County HIstorical Society & Museum
Lady Washington anchored in Penn Cove. Photo by Cameron Chandler
Lower Skagit canoe on Penn Cove, Whidbey Island. Photo courtesy of the Island County Historical Society, Janet Enzmann Archives
Photo courtesy of Whidbey Island Race Week.