Hansville, Washington

Pre-History

Point No Point, a low sandy spit that forms the northern beachside of what is now Hansville, was formerly the southern reach of the historic homeland of the Nuu-chah-nulth, whose generally recognized territory had, as its northern terminus, Vancouver Island.

19th Century

Point No Point was first sighted by a European settler, and given its English name, during the United States Exploring Expedition of Puget Sound in 1841. Expedition leader Charles Wilkes gave the site its name because it appears much less of a promontory at close range than it does from a distance.

On January 25, 1855 Isaac Stevens, the governor of the newly organized Washington Territory, summoned a treaty council to Point No Point, which was attended by 1200 American Indians of the Chimakum, Klallam, and Skokomish tribes, Point No Point being a central midpoint between the tribal centers. The Point No Point Treaty was signed between the United States and the delegates of the tribes the following day.

The first regular residents of Hansville were the lightkeepers of the Point No Point Light, which was constructed in 1879. In 1893 a Norwegian fisherman, the community's first permanent settler not affiliated with the lighthouse, came to the area. He was soon followed by other Norwegian emigres, including Hans Zachariasen, for whom Hansville was ultimately named.

20th Century

In 1900 the Hansville Community Church was founded, with the first permanent structure for the congregation built nine years later. Hansville was connected to Point No Point and its lighthouse by a road constructed in 1908. In 1924 another road was built to nearby Kingston, allowing access to the isolated community by means other than boat or trail for the first time. The addition of the road helped develop Hansville into a resort fishing destination, but a decline in the sports fishery in the 1960s led to the closure of the lodges. In 1962 Driftwood Key was platted with 59 lots. By 2008 the homeowner association had grown to become the largest neighborhood in Hansville with 732 properties, approximately one-third of the residential lots in the community.

Geography

Hansville is situated on the Northern Kitsap Peninsula, north of Kingston, Washington. On the west side of Hansville lies Hood Canal and the Coon Bay. The Foulweather Bluff is a small elevated peninsula on the northwest, while Point No Point resides to the east, facing Puget Sound. The Columbia Center is distantly visible to the southeast.

Demographics

A 2010 survey conducted by Kitsap County found that about 70-percent of residents of Hansville lived in the community full-time, while the remainder maintained homes in the area as weekend or summer properties.

Economy

In 2000, the last year for which information is available, approximately 2-percent of the population served in the U.S. Armed Forces, 2-percent were unemployed, 43-percent were employed outside the military, and 53-percent were not part of the labor force. Due to an absence of significant commercial activity in Hansville, the substantial majority of the labor force were either employed outside the community, or worked at home.

Parks and Recreation

The three county parks in Hansville are connected by a network of trails created by conservation easements and collectively known as the Hansville Greenway.

Buck Lake County Park

Buck Lake County Park is a 20 acres (8.1 hectares) park that includes the eponymous Buck Lake. The park is owned and operated by Kitsap County and is co-located with the Buck Lake Native Plant Garden, a demonstration garden of plants native to coastal Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia that is curated by a private non-profit association. The garden was established in 2006 and includes more than 100 species of flora.

Norwegian Point County Park

Norwegian Point County Park is a 3 acres (1.2 hectares) waterfront park that overlooks Admiralty Inlet and Whidbey Island. It includes a six-sided gazebo. The preserved remnants of one of Hansville's former fishing resorts is located at the site.

Point No Point Lighthouse and Park

Point No Point Lighthouse and Park, a 60 acres (24 hectares) park managed by Kitsap County, includes the historic Point No Point Light, which is operated and maintained by the United States Lighthouse Society. Built in 1879, Point No Point Light is considered the oldest lighthouse on Puget Sound and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Administration

As an unincorporated, rural area, most local government services are provided by Kitsap County in the absence of a municipal authority. The majority of residences in Hansville are located in one of four Homeowner associations: Driftwood Key, Shore Woods, Cliffside, and Point No Point View Estates.

A locally governed fire protection service was established in 1951 with the creation of North Kitsap Fire District 14 which operated as a volunteer fire department until 1989 when it became a mixed department staffed by both volunteer and professional firefighters. In 2000 the fire district was consolidated into North Kitsap Fire and Rescue, which also serves the communities of Kingston, Eglon, Suquamish, and Indianola; an area of 47 square miles and approximately 18,000 residents. According to the department, it operates four fire engines, one type 6 wildland fire engine, two basic life support ambulances, one advanced life support ambulance, three water tenders, and one 26-foot rescue boat, divided among four stations, one of which, Station 89, is located in Hansville.

Politics

Hansville sits entirely within Washington's 1st congressional district and Washington's 23rd legislative district.

Infrastructure

Water in Hansville is provided by Kitsap Public Utilities, a special government entity whose boundaries are parallel to those of Kitsap County. Kitsap Public Utilities is governed by a three-member board of commissioners, elected by district. Hansville is part of Kitsap Public Utilities' northern district. Residential electricity is provided by Puget Sound Energy.

Media

The only general media sited in the community is the Hansville Log, a monthly newsletter published by the Greater Hansville Community Center.

The North Kitsap Herald, which was established in 1901 and whose offices are in Poulsbo, is a weekly newspaper that serves Hansville, Suquamish, Kingston, Indianola, Keyport, and Poulsbo. It has a circulation of 12,700. The community is in the delivery area of two daily newspapers: the Kitsap Sun and the Seattle Times. For television broadcasting, Hansville is located in the Seattle-Tacoma designated market area.

Notable people