Nestled along the Swinomish Channel lies Seaport Books—the only bookstore in La Conner. The location in the Seaport Landing Building gives one the illusion of stepping back in time, with its light mint paint color and white trim that has the aesthetic of the early 20th century. While the building may look antique, the bookstore’s co-founders, Marion Melville and Janna Gage, celebrated its eighth year in 2024.
Photographed by Chloe Nelson
Gage grew up in La Conner and spent her childhood without books, until the first time she visited the public library in 4th grade.
“I had to find the library, I didn’t know where it was, but my teacher sent me down,” says Gage. “I came all the way down here, and [was shown] where the children’s books were. I said, ‘Could I take any books from over there,’ pointing to the adult [section]. I took those books home.”
One of the books she ended up checking out depicted a trip to New Guinea, which opened her eyes to traveling for perhaps the first time in her life.
“That’s the beauty of libraries and the power of books,” says Gage. “Whenever you can put books into the hands of people it’s a good thing.”
After discovering the library, Gage made a pact with herself to read all the books inside, according to Melville. From that moment on, Gage had a fierce, undying love for books and reading. Without it, Seaport Books might not exist today.
In 2017, Melville and Gage realized that they wanted to open a bookstore selling new inventory. It was perfect timing: the town’s previous bookstore had just moved. The bookstore has received much kindness from the community since opening in April 2017.
“I love working here and meeting the customers; the stories are unbelievable,” says Melville. “When someone comes into the store and says, ‘It’s amazing, the books you have, how do you do it?’ It’s such a fun question to answer.”
Their customers are loyal in part because of the store’s personal atmosphere and curated collection.
“We’ve already established our fan base, really,” Gage says. “We do a lot of customer orders, and it’s worked to some advantage for us that some people are getting kind of tired of Amazon. They are, I think, very tired of big box stores. Where’s the village? Where’s my store? We’re just the opposite of Barnes and Noble; we are the bookstore you always wish you had.”
Photographed by Chloe Nelson
Gage and Melville handpick every title sold in Seaport Books, from vintage leather-bound classics to the newest releases. They may not have a ton of books on each subject, but they have the best of the best, according to Gage.
While the store sells a wide range of books, “our focus is on Northwest authors, history, fiction, and nonfiction,” says Melville. “We had a customer tell us we had more on the subject than he’d ever seen; he was blown away.”
Given their success, it might surprise you to learn that Gage and Melville are looking to sell the store by the summer of 2025.
“Both of us just felt, you know: ‘I believe we’ve done it.’” says Gage. “We established a destination bookstore in La Conner, and we’re feeling fat and happy about that. But we also have more things we would like to do, and one of them is the book I’m working on [a brief history of La Conner].”
The bookshop is profitable and supported by a large community of passionate people, Gage says. Anyone would be lucky to find themselves at the helm of Seaport Books.
106 1st St., La Conner, 360.399.1800, seaportbooks.com
