Vashon-Maury Island Pioneer picnic, c. 1924, in front of the Odd Fellows Hall (the Blue Heron)
Our History
The Vashon Heritage Museum is operated by a non-profit organization called the Vashon-Maury Island Heritage Association, or VMIHA for short. The evolution of VMIHA is rich with its own history. In the 1890s, Vashon’s early settlers organized “The Pioneer Association.” Then in 1923, Islanders established the “Vashon Pioneer and Historical Society,” which was later renamed the “Vashon-Maury Pioneer Society” in order to include both islands. In 1976 a few members of the old Pioneer Society and others gathered and reorganized as VMIHA, creating the current organization.
Originally the Lutheran Church
Originally a Lutheran Church, our museum buildings were purchased in 1998 after many years of fundraising, grants, and a generous donation from Islander Robert Gordon. A two-year renovation project was completed in 2003, and the first permanent exhibit was opened to the public in time for the Strawberry Festival in 2006. In the succeeding years, many special exhibits dug deeper into Island history.
Purchased the Neighboring Parsonage
The purchase of the neighboring parsonage in 2014 for future use as classroom and office space was made possible through a 4Culture grant and community fundraising. Another milestone was met in 2024, thanks to a large grant from NEH and our local donors, when the museum closed for six months in order to create a completely new permanent exhibit. Both the museum exhibit building
and associated parsonage received King County Landmark status in 2023.