Virginia V Photo; Save Our Sanctuary Rally

A photo of the steamer Virginia V was posted on the Must I Paint You a Picture blog. The blogger notes that he volunteers aboard the vessel, which is a great way to learn about Puget Sound maritime history. Visit his blog and offer a comment.

On Saturday, I attended a rally in downtown Seattle in opposition to the demolition of the First United Methodist Church, one of Seattle's last remaining historic churches in the downtown business district. The rally was sponsored by Save Our Sanctuary and reported in the Seattle Times. Although an effort last year to preserve the building failed, supporters are not giving up. About 40 people attended the rally, heard speeches from County Councilman Dow Constantine and a descendant of the church's architect, and signed petitions. Although the church has little direct relationship to local maritime history, losing it erodes the city's unique character, which threatens all historic resources, not just the religious and social history the church represents.