Photos from Port of South Whidbey’s post
The Port of South Whidbey posted this to its Facebook page on 2026-02-06 12:07:37.
Evolution of the Wharf
The South leg of the wharf was demolished in the 1950s, and two floats were anchored alongside in the summer months.
On August 29, 1961, voters on Whidbey Island approved the formation of the Langley Port District to develop an all-season boat marina in the town of Langley.
Beginning in 1965, the Port began preparations for a 6.8-acre marina and harbor facility at the site of the original pier at the foot of Anthes Avenue. This proved financially untenable, and the idea was scrapped.
In November of 1979, the name of the district was officially changed to “The Port District of South Whidbey Island.”
In 1976, the city closed the dock to the public due to deterioration. In November of 1979, the name of the district was officially changed to “The Port District of South Whidbey Island.”
In 1979, the Port of South Whidbey joined with the City of Langley and the state’s Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation to develop a transient-moorage marina to be called the Langley Boat Harbor.
The facility, which could accommodate approximately 40 small vessels, consisted of floating, concrete finger piers anchored to treated timber pilings, all protected by a floating tire breakwater.
The tire breakwater sank in 1986, and the Port of South Whidbey contributed $30,000 toward replacing the breakwater and upgrading the facility. The work was completed in 1986.
Nichols Brothers Boat Builders of Freeland, Washington, purchased the Sunrise Beach Resort property in 1979 for outfitting and repair work. The old Langley Boat Works building was preserved, but the cottages were removed, and the resort pier was replaced by a new dock.
The Standard Oil tanks were removed and replaced by a ten-unit Boatyard Inn constructed by Paul Schell and his partners in 1995.
The deteriorated Langley Marina building was demolished in 2005 and replaced by a new Boatyard Inn unit in 2010. Only the pilings of the Marina dock were left in place.
A concrete breakwater was towed to Langley and eventually attached to the wharf to provide moorage for larger boats.
The City transferred the marina to the Port March 2, 2009, and the name of the marina was changed to the “South Whidbey Harbor at Langley.”
Phil Simon Park
George Phillip (“Phil”) Simon came to Langley from Mukilteo in 1910 and occupied the little house at the foot of the wharf with his wife and children until his death in 1959.
The house was enlarged as his family grew.
The house fell into disrepair after Phil’s death. Robert Drake purchased the house in 1983 and renovated it into a B&B called Drake’s Landing that opened in 1985.
PhilSimon made many contributions to Langley. He ran the Sea Breeze Confectionary, made and sold ice cream, installed the Town’s water system, served as Langley’s first fire marshal, rented boats, ran a jitney service, and ran Langley’s electrical plant from 1916 to 1930.
In 1967, the City established a small park honoring Phil Simon at the base of the bluff adjacent to the former Phil Simon house. The Port of South Whidbey constructed an enlarged Phil Simon Park at the water’s edge in 2009.
