Morgantown

In April, 1991, the first group of co-op homeowners formed the Rodney J. Morgan Cooperative. The name for their neighborhood, Morgantown, was chosen in memory of Rodney “Rod” J. Morgan, house designer and inspiration for Morgantown, who died just one month prior to groundbreaking.

Site staff included: a site superintendent, relief superintendent, technical consultant, lead carpenter, and a finish carpenter. Local volunteers were invaluable to the success of building Morgantown. They helped with nearly every task on the site, from concrete to roofing, and framing to finish work. It was truly a community effort.

By mid-December, 1992, all units had been inspected and approved for occupancy. The first successful Community Land Trust affordable housing project in the state of Washington was completed. An Open House was held in December of 1992, and over 300 people attended the celebration. New homeowners moved in on January 1, 1993. The project was featured in the New York Times (“Low Cost Houses on a High-Price Island,” May 2, 1992) .