Published in The Seattle Times online on March 12, 2026
and in Pacific NW Magazine of the printed Times on March 15, 2025

Weyerhaeuser’s shrine to wood was built to move as waterfront changed

By Jean Sherrard

Meant as a grand showcase for the Weyerhaeuser Lumber Company, the building in our “Then” photo provided an administrative headquarters in 1923 while offering a structural ode to timber itself. Weyerhaeuser’s timber-trade dominance at the time was legendary, rooted in the 1900 “neighborly deal” in which Frederick Weyerhaeuser purchased 900,000 acres of Washington timberland from railroader James J. Hill for $5.4 million.

After the purchase, Everett quickly became the manufacturing heart of Weyerhaeuser’s empire, with waterfront mills producing wood products shipped globally. To manage this reach, the company commissioned a headquarters that doubled as architectural persuasion. Designed by the firm Bebb and Gould, its stylized English Gothic structure was built not only to impress but also to move—literally. Architect Carl F. Gould anticipated future evolutions on the waterfront and engineered the building onto four giant crossbeams, making portability a feature, not a bug.

The structure was relocated at least three times. First, in 1938, it was barged along the Snohomish River to accommodate expanding mills. It moved again in March 1984, when the tug Whidbey towed the office from its base at

Preston Point to the new Everett Marina Village. Finally, in 2016, it traveled nearly a mile by land to its present home at Boxcar Park on the Everett waterfront.

Today, the Port of Everett owns the landmark, which was restored at the behest of NGMA Group CEO Kwok “Jack” Yang Ng to house The Muse Whiskey & Coffee, which serves as a coffee shop by day, speakeasy-inspired whiskey bar by night. During a recent visit, general manager Joseph Mottola and NGMA VP Rachel Escalle led a tour through the historic space. Mottola pointed out that the building was designed as a physical “demo”—each room features different trim work to showcase the versatility of Douglas fir, western red cedar and western hemlock.

At the building’s heart remains an original 160-ton

vault, its thick concrete walls now sheltering wine rather than payroll. The vault held a sharp surprise for restorers from Grant Construction: Designed to release tear gas if tampered with, one canister remained charged after a century. When disturbed during the 2023 renovation, it “popped”—a stinging reminder that some early security systems never lose their bite.

Mottola is particularly fond of the corner office associated with the Weyerhaeuser family. As the story goes, after his retirement in 1942, company President John P. Weyerhaeuser would occasionally return to “boot out” the current manager, reclaiming his former desk for a day or two. From there, he could look out over the docks, where log-laden ships still departed to fuel his family’s empire.

WEB EXTRAS

For a narrated 360 degree video created on the Everett waterfront at Boxcar Park, click here.

A few more photos: