Heritage Park

In an effort to provide area residents with a better understanding of their unique past while preserving its historical structures, the City of Lynnwood in 1999 purchased a 2.8 acre parcel of land, referred to today as Heritage Park.

Located east of I-5 on the corner of Poplar Way and Alderwood Manor Parkway, Heritage Park is maintained by the City of Lynnwood in partnership with several community organizations, including the Alderwood Manor Heritage Association, and can be reserved for special events. For informal gatherings, picnic tables and benches have been scattered about so you can relax in the shade of old trees while enjoying the sounds of the birds and wildlife in the park's wetlands.

Rescued from destruction during the I-5 interchange construction – Heritage Park showcases several early historical structures including the 1930s Superintendent's Cottage and Water Tower, Humble House and Barn, Wickers Building, and the Interurban Car #55 are displayed in a village-like setting featuring beautiful landscaping, interpretive signage, a public plaza, and demonstration gardens.

The Historic Structures

1930s Superintendent's Cottage and Water Tower, known today as the Alderwood Manor Heritage Cottage and Water Tower, are the only surviving structures from the Demonstration Farm which was built in 1917 by the Puget Mill Company. The Demonstration Farm was located along the Interurban Rail Line which generally follows the I-5 corridor.

Renovated by the Alderwood Manor Heritage Association for use as a heritage resource center and home to the associations’ 200+ members, the "Cottage", as it's simply referred to as, offers public access to resource materials related to the historic community of Alderwood Manor including access to archives of photographs, newspapers manuscripts, as well as collections of artifacts, oral histories, books and reference materials.

The Humble House and Barn, the site's original structures built in 1919, are preserved at Heritage Park and named for the family that bought the property in 1934. The house will be rehabilitated as a genealogy library, and the barn will be restored to support the development of future demonstration gardens and agricultural programs.

The Wickers Building, built in 1919, was the first mercantile and post office on North Trunk Road in Alderwood Manor (now 196th Street SW in Lynnwood), and a familiar landmark half-way between Seattle and Everett to passengers on the Interurban. The exterior and first floor of the Tudor Revival-style building have been carefully restored, preserving its distinctive features. The historic building includes the Visitor Information Center and a transportation and heritage museum.

Interurban Car 55 is the centerpiece of Heritage Park. Car 55 is one of six Interurban electric rail cars that provided commuter service from Alderwood Manor to Seattle and Everett from 1910 to 1939. The Interurban was key to the development of Alderwood Manor, now known as Lynnwood. Folks from the big cities traveled by trolley, encouraged by the Demonstration Farm to relocate to the country, breathe the uncontaminated fresh air and learn how to raise poultry for profit. After the demise of the Interurban in 1939, Car 55 was retired, serving as a diner for several years, and later as a ticket office for the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad. The City purchased the deteriorated trolley in 1993, and began its restoration with a federal grant in 1996. Tour

Content provided by City of Lynnwood, http://www.ci.lynnwood.wa.us/content/community.aspx?id=221.