History

HISTORIC WAPLES MERCANTILE BUILDING

The Inn at Lynden makes its home in the historic Waples Mercantile Building, formerly the Lynden Department Store. For nearly a century, The Lynden Department Store was the market place of Lynden’s farming community and a destination where the locals gathered.

The store was owned and built in 1914 by Billy Waples, one of the original founding fathers of Lynden. Mr. Waples owned the Lynden Mill & Light Company, which operated a lumber mill in town. He was responsible for bringing electric lighting to the city’s streets and was a driving force in establishing Lynden’s first railroad. He was also instrumental in establishing the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds and the Lynden Fair in what has since become an annual tradition and statewide draw for the town of Lynden.

As a result of his contributions to the history of Lynden and the significance of his iconic building, the National Park Service deemed the Waples Mercantile Building worthy of inclusion onto the National Registry of Historic Places. We're proud that it now shares this honor with similar landmark structures across the United States.

And, now you can reside there, in comfort and style, while enjoying truly historic hospitality.

— Special thanks to RMC Architects for their dedicated work on this project.