Rent a moment In history at
Fern Cove Nature Preserve's
Belle Baldwin House
The Belle Baldwin House was the home of Edward Loomis Smith, a prominent physician practicing in the Washington Territory and the State of Washington from 1870 to his death in 1893. His daughter, Belle Baldwin, became the state’s first female physician in 1912 and features prominently in the study of women in America.
Named a State Historic Landmark, the Belle Baldwin house may be the only known intact example of the residential work of Harlan Thomas, a renowned architect whose buildings are distinguished
Seattle landmarks. The Vashon
Photo by Wendy ParidoPark District’s ‘green’ restoration process has returned the house to its 1912 glory, creating a relaxing, natural environment that honors the park and the past. And, all this is located on 750 feet of pristine Puget Sound beach. It doesn't get any better than this.
To view and print a PDF copy of the Fern Cove Rental brochure click here
For a photo tour through Fern Cove, click here
The house has three bedrooms (2-queen & 2 twin beds), one bath (complete with claw foot tub and full shower). It is fully furnished for up to six adults. All you need to bring is your groceries!
Rental Rates:
Peak Season –Memorial Day to Labor Day
$1580/week
Weekly rentals run Friday to Friday only
Non Peak Season – Labor Day to Memorial Day
$1200/week
During the non-peak season, the house is available for $225/night with a minimum of two nights required.
Vashon Island residents are eligible for a 15% discount year-round.
A deposit of $250 is required to confirm your reservation at the time of booking and is refunded after your stay.
Contact: Vashon Park District
206-463-9602
lodging@vashonparkdistrict.org OR
To view a current calendar of availability at the Belle Baldwin House, click here.
Fern Cove Nature Preserve
Where natural and human history Live
In the thousands of years since nature created it this elbow shaped cove has been a bustling nursery for life. Rich soils and moist weather patterns spawned dense stands of cedar, salmon crowded the mouth of the creek and the marine shoreline became home to thousands of shellfish, crustaceans, fish and migratory birds. Early peoples left stone tools Photo by Wendy Paridon and shell mounds at the edge of the salt marsh for the first white settlers to find. They, in turn, put up their own shelters. And, Dr. Belle Baldwin, the first female physician in Washington State, settled here with her family in the 1890’s.
Today’s Fern Cove holds all this history in its rich natural and structural forms, waiting for the eager visitor to discover anew. The Vashon Park District, Vashon Land Trust, King County and Friends of Fern Cove have protected its natural gifts since 1994, and recently restored the Belle Baldwin home as a pristine vacation and retreat rental.
Nature at Fern Cove
Fern Cove is the vital link between a 2,200 acre, undeveloped, upland watershed and a vital estuary and marine tideland. It includes 13.5 acres of 100-year-old second growth forest, a marine estuary providing critical habitat for salmon and other wildlife, two high quality streams and more than 750 feet of Puget Sound shoreline on the NW corner of Vashon Island. Two creeks, the Shinglemill and Baldwin, empty into Colvos Passage at Fern Cove creating the estuarine system and a fertile delta.
Photo by Wendy Paridon
Environmental Education
In the revitalized Fern Cove Carriage House People For Puget Sound is working to provide interpretive signage, display materials from area conservation organizations, and a gathering spot for field activities. Working with the Park District, Vashon Island School District, Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust, Vashon Audubon, and other community groups they coordinate educational beach walks, tours and events on the beach.