Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve was established by Congress in 1978 “to preserve and protect a rural community which provides an unbroken historic record from the 19th century exploration and settlement in Puget Sound to the present time.” It comprises 17,572 acres of Central Whidbey Island (including 4,300 acres of Penn Cove), and its boundaries follow those of the original land claims filed by settlers in the 1850s. Basic patterns of land use have remained unchanged since European-American settlement in the mid-19th century. The Central Whidbey Island Historic District, comprised of nearly 400 historic structures, shares the boundaries of the Reserve. Preservation internships with Ebey’s Landing NHR offer unique opportunities to work on a broad range of projects in the only historical reserve in the National Park Service. These internships help us complete our mission by maintaining current documentation and assessments of our historic structures and landscapes, while offering valuable practical experience to graduate students preparing for degrees in cultural/historic resource management.

2015 Ebey’s Landing Internship