Historic Langley

2004. North side of house (Courtesy Robert Gilman).

1903: Evelyn Spencer buys the property.

Built in 1905, the house was occupied by members of the Spencer family for many years.

Circa 1938. Evelyn Spencer (Courtesy 1938 "Falcon" yearbook).

Evelyn Jane Spencer was born October 9, 1871, in Blanchard, Michigan to Deloss (Delos) Thomas and Susan Hortensia (Hortense) Spencer.

Circa 1870. Hortense and Deloss Spencer (Courtesy Betty Discher).

Following her sister Bertha's marriage to Ernest Gaskill in 1898, Evelyn (27) and her brother Leslie (23) moved to Everett with their parents in 1900. Deloss listed his occupation as "brick manufacture" and Evelyn taught school. Bertha and her husband also moved to Washington between 1900 and 1910 and were living in Coupeville on Whidbey Island.

In 1903, Evelyn Spencer purchased property on Sixth Street in Langley from Jacob and Leafy Anthes.

A year later (July 12, 1904), Evelyn married John William Spencer (no relation) in Everett. Tragically, John died three years later (May 30, 1907) in Mesa Arizona.

Evelyn was an educator who both taught in the classroom and served as a school administrator. She taught in Everett for seven years and served as Assistant County Superintendent of Schools, Snohomish County from 1907-1909.

In 1910, Deloss and Hortense were living in the house he owned on 6th Street in Langley. He listed his occupation as "farmer". Evelyn moved to Whidbey Island following the death of her husband and became superintendent of Island County schools from 1915 - 1920. She presumably moved into the house on 6th Street with her parents when she moved to Langley.

In 1916, Evelyn served as editor and publisher of a new "Island County Public School Journal;" a 24-page newspaper published once a month during the school term containing interesting reports and profusely illustrated with pictures of students and activities (From Cherry III, p44).

In 1920, Deloss, age 75, worked as a mail carrier. "Old man Spencer... had the job of meeting the boats every day and wheeling the bags of mail on his wooden wheelbarrow up the long plank sidewalk to the post office. He was an old man and walked slowly as he pushed along with his corncob pipe clamped in his teeth. When he arrived at the post office, the first-class mail was sorted and placed in the proper boxes.... There was always a group of people standing around the entrance waiting for their mail. They talked and argued and came to life when Spencer arrived." (McGinnis, "Langleyites of Whidbey Island 1899 - 1921," p.68).

Deloss, Hortense and Evelyn were not the only Spencers living on Whidbey in 1920. In addition to Bertha who worked as a nurse in Coupeville, Deloss's brother Hudson and his family were prominent members of Freeland.

1920. Spencer portrait. Standing L-R: Hortense, Evelyn, Percy, Sarah. Seated: Deloss, Hudson (Courtesy Betty Discher).

Evelyn served as Assistant in the State Department of Education in Olympia from 1920-1923, returning to Langley she served as Island County Superintendent of Schools 1927-1935.

Hortense died in Langley May 20, 1922. Deloss died in Langley January 11,1936 and was buried next to Hortense in the Langley Woodmen Cemetery.

The 1938 "Falcon" yearbook was dedicated to Mrs. Evelyn Spencer "our well-known and beloved educator of South Whidbey."

In 1940, Evelyn (68) was living and teaching in Langley. Living with her that year were her niece Genevieve H. Temple and her husband William L. Temple. She served as director of teacher certification in 1941.

1946/47. Spencer house (black arrow) (Courtesy Island County).

According to Vicki Lash, "The small house (red arrow) was built for visiting schoolteachers by Evelyn Spencer. The house was originally two bedrooms, a central bath with a claw foot tub, and a small kitchen." In 1954, a vocational-industrial-arts building was added to the Langley School campus and named the "Evelyn Spencer Building."

2019. Evelyn Spencer Building (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

2019. Evelyn Spencer Building (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

Evelyn also served on the South Whidbey School Board.

1955. School Board (Courtesy 1955 "Falcon" yearbook)..

In 1956, Evelyn moved to the Westley Garden Retirement home in Seattle where she died May 15, 1965 at age 93. She was buried in Everett's Evergreen Cemetery.

1961: Evelyn sells the property.

Evelyn sold the property to Hilmer Hanson and his wife Alice (5/3/1961) who passed the property to their son Victor in 1975.

2004. Spencer house. Aerial view (Courtesy John Scurlock).

David served on the Langley Town Council and was a volunteer fireman for 14 years. "He was born only a couple blocks from where he spent his life" (Mary Gebhart).

2023. North side of house (Courtesy Robert Waterman).