Originally a summer community for the Portland gentry, Seaview’s quiet tree-lined streets invite strollers to enjoy turn-of-the-century Victorian homes which are survivors of a developer’s plans from the 1880s.
Seaview was once a depot on the Clamshell Railroad, the narrow gauge “train that ran with the tides” that ran up the Long Beach Peninsula from 1889 to 1930. There was only a platform and shed at Seaview until 1905 when a regular depot was built.
A wooden boardwalk ran between the station and a business block, approximately one-quarter mile in length. Merchants included an ice cream shop, an oyster lunch establishment, and a market.
The Seaview depot still stands, one of only two remaining stations. Now an excellent restaurant (The Depot), visitors can enjoy a bit of history and a fine meal inside its red walls on what is now the main beach approach in Seaview (aka 38th Street).
The historic Shelburne Inn was originally established in 1896 as a retreat for visitors from Portland, Oregon, and has operated continuously since its inception, making it the oldest continuously operating hotel in the State of Washington. The Inn’s rich history is available on its website.
The town remains a favorite retreat for summer visitors. Enjoy the Seaview Strollers Tour and learn more about the town’s original 50′ x 100’ lots, which sold for $100 each. The homes on the tour are an interesting assortment constructed over the years. Don’t pass up equally intriguing structures not mentioned on the tour; Seaview is full of architecture worthy of study.