Efforts to preserve and renovate the historic ASUW Shell House on the Montlake Cut—home to the “Boys in the Boat,” who shocked the world by winning the gold medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympics—continue full speed ahead. Led by UW Recreation, “The Next 100 Years Campaign” is seeking the resources to turn this iconic building into a welcoming student space, history museum and event space.
This is where you come in. The project’s historians are seeking photographic evidence of the Shell House’s history and invite you to send us what you’ve got. This dramatic building has played many roles over its first 100 years. Built and used by the Navy at the end of World War I, it served as home to Husky crew and master racing-shell builder George Pocock until 1949. For decades, it has been the hub of all UW student water recreation and was known as the “Old Canoe House.”
No matter how insignificant you might think your old photos are, stored away in dusty albums in attics and basements, if they show the Shell House, we’d love to see them, and the older, the better. We’re seeking photos of the interior and exterior, and of course, any photos of the crew are always welcome.
To contribute photos and learn more about the project, email project manager Nicole Klein at kleinn@uw.edu or go to http://www.asuwshellhouse.uw.edu.