Digest>Archives> May/Jun 2014

The Little Lighthouse Free Library

By David McKee

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Little free libraries have become a trend in Seattle, Washington and in other communities around the nation. The idea is simple: passers-by may take a book or leave one.

For our home in northeast Seattle, we commissioned a little library replicating the Victorian architecture of a dozen or so lighthouses built on Puget Sound over one hundred years ago. Carl Leick, architect for the U.S. Lighthouse Board in Portland, designed most of them.

My great-grandfather, Edward A. Brooks, was head keeper of the Mukilteo Lighthouse north of Seattle for 12 years at the end of his career. Our mini-library is a reminder of his final outpost, with both of the lighthouses at Alki Point and West Point, within Seattle’s city limits, featuring similar lines.

Lighthouses are always objects of human fascination. When a red-roofed miniature lighthouse is mounted on a post next to the sidewalk and filled with free books, most strollers slow their stride for a good look, and some joggers brake to a complete halt. Neighborhood kids constantly come around to check for new offerings. See www.littlefreelibrary.org for more, including registered locations.

My brother-in-law, Dale Hoff, has become a promoter and builder of free little libraries since shutting down his home remodeling construction business and has come up with many original designs. He built this one for us and it can be found at www.handcraftsinwordandwood.com.

This story appeared in the May/Jun 2014 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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