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Buy into rebuilding Vashon’s Beall Greenhouses

Originally known for its orchids, now it’s fertile ground for artists

By Tom Trimbath
Keller Williams

Every home has a story. Some have layers of history. Vashon’s Beall Greenhouses have chapters starting in about a hundred years ago, and are entering a new era.

From a place well-known for its orchids, the place passed through a phase when decay worked faster than repair. After a few attempts at cleaning up the site, it’s finally reached the point where it has been redefined as an artist community for a dozen artists.

It is also time for the property to come back onto the market at $1,700,000. Lots of stories, lots of opportunities and possible futures, and a chance to support some of Vashon’s art community.

It isn’t just an artist community, though that’s impressive enough. The property includes a 3,000-square-foot house and a smaller house for a total of five bedrooms and three bathrooms. At least one of the homes is in the top floor of a barn. Nicely rustic.

In addition to the conventional kitchen and living arrangement, someone paid a lot of attention to creating a sweet sauna and shower. The right luxury can make a bad day good.

Much of the price probably comes from outside the house. Out of the artists that lease on the property, many, if not all, of the artists are successful, or at least well-known.

More than 16 acres include several greenhouses and outbuildings, or what remains of them. Some could use a bit of help. Others require evicting trees that have lived there for years.

With the right funds, energy, and a bit of luck, maybe buildings and foundations can be saved and the renaissance continued.

The Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber described some of the greenhouses’ renovation status in 2012:

The Beall Greenhouses, however, turned out to be unlike any project the Hoopers had taken on. Many of the buildings were in a state of ruin, Chuck said. Blackberries, brambles and even trees had taken over many of the greenhouses, and in recent years the site had been used as a garbage dump of sorts — old appliances, cars, boats and other trash were ditched on several acres.

Another challenge, says the Beachcomber, is that the greenhouses were in use back in the days of lax environmental regulation—making cleanup a challenge.

Many of the greenhouses have been restored over the years, but from the looks of this listing, some are still in picturesque ruins.

A lot can happen in five years, and it’s possible a lot of work has taken place in that time. The right owner willing to pick up where the previous owners left off could mean another barrier falling away from the Beall Greenhouses growing into a healthier future.