Gig Harbor’s iconic Shenandoah is listed on an historic register. Here’s what that means.

Gig Harbor’s historic fishing vessel Shenandoah has won a berth on the Washington State Historic Register.

In a vote taken last Tuesday, June 27, the state Department of Archaeology and Historical Preservation agreed to accept the 97-year-old purse seiner as an “historical object” worthy of preservation.

“It’s a great honor, but it also has practical value,” said Stephanie Lile, director of the Harbor History Museum, where the Shenandoah is being restored. “With this listing it, becomes eligible for more potential grant funding.”

The 64-foot Shenandoah was build in 1924 at Gig Harbor’s Skansie Shipyard, during what historians now call the “golden age” of purse seiner construction. (It was named for a popular airship, not the river.) It was an active fishing vessel for decades and a frequently photographed sight in the harbor well into this century. It was donated to the museum in 2003.

Part of the register’s description narrates the vessel’s historic significance:

“The Purse Seiner Shenandoah is a classic example of a wood-hulled Puget Sound purse seiner from the early to mid-twentieth century. She is one of the last of the Gig Harbor- built purse seiners and one of only two Skansie-built fishing vessels remaining in Gig Harbor. Her legacy is rich with the heritage of the men who skippered these timeless vessels, of the commercial fishing industry that supported the growing community, and of the carpenters and shipwrights who built innovation and beauty into every vessel launched.”

The Shenandoah joins the steam tugboat Arthur Foss as one of the few vessels on the historical register, which usually includes only places and buildings, such as old schoolhouses, forts and missions.

“Listing in the Washington Heritage Register is strictly an honorary designation and raises the public awareness about historic and cultural values,” according to the DAHP web site. “While there are presently no financial incentives available for the rehabilitation of listed properties, a designation to the Washington Heritage Register can be beneficial in securing state grants or other funding awards for public or non-profit owned properties.”

The museum also applied to be listed on the National Historic Register, but found Shenandoah doesn’t qualify because it is no longer afloat. However, Lille said, it is listed in the National Historical Architectural and Engineering record.

The application to the state register was shepherded by the museum’s collections manager, Jean Hannah.

Stripped of its finish, caulking and some of its planking, the Shenandoah has been under renovation at the museum for several years. Presently, the museum’s shipwright and volunteers are replacing the modern wheelhouse, installed in 1949, with a replica of the original 1924 wheelhouse.

“It’s coming along beautifully,” Lile said.

The Shenandoah may be seen at the museum, 4121 Harborview Dr. between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

This story was originally published July 7, 2021 at 6:39 PM.