The Muse Is a Whiskey Bar Steeped in History

On the foggy edge of the Everett waterfront stands a Gothic masterpiece that whispers tales of an era gone by—the Weyerhaeuser Office Building, a silent witness to the ebb and flow of time since its creation in 1923.

Picture this: a one-and-a-half-story structure designed by the skilled hand of famed architect Carl Gould. The 6,000-square-foot building manages to somehow project sturdiness and ornate luxury. It's a beacon of artistry, showcasing the beauty of local wood species like fir, cedar, and hemlock. The interior is full of modern furnishings that nicely compliment vintage features like thick molding, giant windows, and an indulgence in high-quality wood products that would be prohibitively expensive in today's market. Indeed, this building was once a showcase for the Weyerhaeuser Company's many milled lumber products.

This is the Weyerhaeuser Office Building -- a gem from the glory era of the timber industry that has been recently retrofitted into the Muse. The Muse is an upscale coffee shop by day and a glamorous speakeasy by night.

The beauty of the renovation is in the details. From the silk-embroidered tapestry wallpaper, to the gem-colored couches, to a golden vault and a bar loaded with expensive bottles of whiskey, the Muse is very much a classy joint. It's the face of a city that's emerging from a post-industrial economy to a more affluent place filled with quality assets and amenities.

Timber is out. Gold-tinged goblets filled with high-end cocktails are in. You may want to call ahead and get a reservation because it seems that the Muse is the wave of the future.

The History

Weyerhaeuser, a juggernaut in Everett’s industrial landscape for decades, employed workers in the city at two of its largest plants. Originally located in the Mill A plant, the Weyerhaeuser Office embarked on a journey in 1938, a move spurred by the conversion of Mill A into a pulp mill. It found its second home at Mill B on the banks of the Snohomish River, where its large windows bore silent witness to the river's whispers and the hum of industry.

The riverside office bustled with the administrative side of mill operations until 1979 when Mill B, too, bowed out of the stage of industry. A resilient survivor, in 1983, the structure sailed back down the river on a barge, retracing its steps to the current waterfront, stitching together the threads of its narrative with two notable "voyages" that etched it into the hearts of the public.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, the Weyerhaeuser Office Building now stands as a sentinel, narrating the tales of a once-thriving lumber and shingle industry that shaped the Everett waterfront. To visitors recreating on the Everett Waterfront it stands as a reminder of an era when sawdust danced in the air and the waterfront echoed with the roar and whine of hungry sawblades.

Today, just a few blocks away from the Port of Everett’s headquarters, this historic edifice shares the neighborhood with bustling waterfront restaurants, adding a touch of nostalgia to the air.

A hundred-year-old beauty, the Weyerhaeuser Office Building stands tall as a beloved landmark in a city on the shores of the Salish Sea. We'll raise a glass to that -- and you should, too.