The Bookhouse in the Pilot Episode of Twin Peaks.In Twin Peaks Episode 1003, Sheriff Truman and fellow Bookhouse Boys, Big Ed Hurley and Deputy Hawk, take Special Agent Dale Cooper inside The Bookhouse. He tells Cooper that it’s the place where they have gathered together for the past 20 years and that the coffee is free. But the location they visit is just one of several that were used as The Bookhouse throughout Seasons 1 and 2. Today, I’m taking a closer look at exterior location from Washington state as seen in the Pilot Episode and Episodes 2006, 2009, and 2017.
Deleted scene from the Pilot Episode.According to a deleted scene from the Pilot Episode, Jake Morrissey owns both the Bookhouse and the Roadhouse. Laura Palmer mentions Morrissey and describes the interior on October 20, 1985 in “The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer”:
“…We got to the Book House [sic] and no one except Big Jake Morrissey was there. He’s the guy who runs the place. I guest I should tell you about it so you can imagine where I was. It is a coffee house, mostly for guys – girls are allowed – but it’s more like a guys’ hangout. There are books everywhere on the back. It smells like cigarettes, after-shave and coffee. There’s always coffee brewing.”
The “Twin Peaks Access Guide to the Town” places the Bookhouse along Main Street near railroad tracks, and no where near the Roadhouse. Of course, we know that is different in the series.
Google MapsIn reality, the location used for the Bookhouse exterior is found at 4201 340th Place SE in Fall City, Washington. It’s located next to the location used for the exterior of the Roadhouse in all three seasons and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.
Google MapsThe Bookhouse location is found just down the street from the location of Hap’s Diner from the film.
Parcel Viewer for King County, WashingtonIt took some digging on the King County Parcel Viewer to find the exact address for this location. As you can see in the image above, the Bookhouse is actually not part of the Roadhouse location property. The actual property contains two buildings, with the Bookhouse being considered Building 2.
Property AppraiserThe 410-square foot building was constructed in 1930. It was last sold on August 12, 1994 by Helen Sorenson. The Sorenson name has a long history in the region. One of the first mayors of Tolt (now Carnation), Washington was C. Elmer Sorenson. And before 1914, the Fisher-Sorensen Lumber Company “constructed a lumber and planing mill one-quarter mile west of Carnation’s post office along the Snoqualmie River and the Great Northern Railroad spur.” My gut tells me that Helen Sorenson is somehow connected to many in the area with that name.
Twin Peaks Visual SoundtrackSimilar to the iconic Twin Peaks road sign, the Bookhouse found its way to the Twin Peaks Visual Soundtrack. Made for the Japanese market around 1992, this video contains many film locations from the tri-city area.
From “The Secret History of Twin Peaks”Mark Frost’s “The Secret History of Twin Peaks” offered this outstanding image of the Bookhouse in Washington state. The photo states it’s from 1987 but it’s more likely from around the time the Pilot Episode was filmed.
1000
2009Here are two additional images from the Pilot Episode and Episode 2009. The latter was probably captured during the original location shoot in 1989 but saved for Season 2.
Sadly, with the passage of time, things look much different today.
Twin Peaks Fan Fest in August 1996.I visited the location in August 1996 during the Twin Peaks Fan Fest. By this time, cream colored siding and newly painted accents had changed the look of this spot.
Photo by Vinnie GuideraSpecial thanks to fellow Bookhouse Boy Vinnie Guidera who shared a photo of the Bookhouse from a visit in 2013.
Bing MapsSometime after 1996, the building was remodeled again with green siding and a new roof. Metal fences were also placed around the area which means the location will never look the same as it did in the series.
King County Property Appraiser
Photo by Jeff HitchcockAdditional images I found on the internet give a closer look at this small home.
2017
Google MapsOne of my favorite images from this site comes from Episode 2017 – a blue neon sign for The Bookhouse attached to trees above the roof. You can see the sign from afar in the Pilot Episode and Episodes 2006 and 2009.
More images from The Bookhouse in Fall City can be seen on this tribute image to InTwinPeaks.com. I believe they are from the late 2000s (click on the image to enlarge).
RELATED ARTICLES:
