Our Story

The Club

The Crosby Community Center is a 501c3 nonprofit organization supporting Seabeck, Green Mountain, Lake Symington, Lake Tahuyeh, Wildcat Lake, and surrounding areas of central Kitsap County, Washington.  The club is in a region of Kitsap County called Crosby.  The community’s first postmaster Mrs. Graham named the town Crosby after a town in England where she had lived.  The post office was in operation between1891 and 1918.  Crosby is now part of Seabeck, WA. 
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The club was originally incorporated on December 30, 1911, making it over 110 years old!  It is believed that the Crosby Community Center was the first club to file its bylaws with the State of Washington.  Crosby Community Center started as the Crosby Valley Club.  On September 11, 1947, the club’s name changed to the Crosby Community Club.  On November 10, 2020, the club was renamed to Crosby Community Center.
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From inception, the organization has been focused on promoting unity in the community.  Community events, activities (e.g.,classes, training), and charitable giving (e.g., Angel Tree for Kids) promote strong, caring, healthy and subsequently more unified communities.  Neighbors helping and getting to know their neighbors, that is what this community center is about!
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One of the club’s largest and most notable event is Crosby Days Logging Festival which celebrates Crosby’s logging history.  Crosby Days Logging Festival began in August 1983 as a one-time event.  More than forty years later, the festival continues to draw in locals, logging, and antique enthusiasts.



The Hall

The Crosby Community Center hall was built as a two-room schoolhouse in 1926-27.  It is the second school built for Crosby.  It opened in 1928.  Here is an excerpt from “History of the Crosby School” by Elsie Christopher that describes the history of the first and second Crosby schools in the more detail.

“The [first] school was built in 1891 on property that had been homesteaded earlier by a family named Andrew Nelson.
The school was built by Geo. Stevens, Ash Hite and Jacob Zuber.
The first teacher was Harry Zook, followed by Helen Tolo who rode horse back to school every day.  She was followed by John Dixon, Fred Coise, Albert Peak, Nellie Veldee, George Johnson, Miss Margaret Whittle, who was followed by Henrietta Bucklin (not Mrs. W.O. Lewis).  Later Miss Whittle came back to teach again until she went to Holly.
School consisted of 3 months.  Church also was held in the school and the children from Crosby would also attend these schools.  They boarded with families living in the districts.  The three districts eventual consolidated and school was held in Crosby only.  The children were bussed from Mission Lake and Nellita by private bus.
 
When I moved here in 1924, there were approximately 60 children and one upper class was held in the old Crosby Hall.  The teachers were Lydia Edson and Irene Kingsbury (now Irene Cunningham of Bremerton).
In 1925 the contract was let for the new [second] school (2 room).  The schools’ directors were Julius Hintz, Frank Druml and Earl Finwick.  Other directors have been Lester Clough, Bruce Hete, Rudy Hintz and Peter Hagan, also Elsie Christopher.  The new school opened in September 1928 and continued until 1946, when the school was closed.  The four upper grades were then transported to Chico and the lower grades to Seabeck.  The old school was one of the few remaining until it was destroyed by fire on February 5, 1976.”

The Crosby School was built using the same plans as the schools in the areas of Holly and Seabeck.  Kitsap County School District engaged the services Stephan & Stephen Architects, located in Seattle Washington to design the schoolhouses. 

The Crosby School is the only “sister” school remaining in the area.  The Holly School burned down in 2022.  The Seabeck School was moved to Brownsville in the 1950s and was converted into a church, losing many of its historic features.  The Crosby School closed in 1946.
 
The Crosby Community Club was deeded the Crosby School hall and property on August 21, 1947.  The Crosby School serves as a historic backdrop for most club activities.  The hall is also used as a rental venue which helps to defer some of the cost of its maintenance.  For residents of the area, the Crosby Community Center is more than just a building.  It is a place where they celebrate and commemorate life events.  It is a place for weddings, baby showers, bridal showers, graduations, family reunions and memorial services.  It has been and continues to be the community’s gathering place.  Our members hope is to preserve the club for future generations to come.
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We welcome you to attend one of our future meetings, activities, or events.

Come by and meet your neighbors!