Port of Coupeville

About Us

Chart: 18441

Coupeville is situated on the south side of a sheltered inlet known as Penn Cove. The town was originally built as a small port and its primary business was the import and export of goods between the island and the mainland. The wharf and associated buildings were all part of this essential commerce. Before 1905, There were several early wharves at Penn Cove in the latter half of the 1800s that had been built for passenger travel and importing and exporting products between the island and the mainland. The problem with these early wharves was that most could only be used at extreme high tide. In 1905 local merchants and farmers built a 500 foot wharf at the foot of Alexander Street to accommodate the growth of population and commerce. This wharf is the current wharf in Coupeville.