Fly Home to 24 Acres of Puget Sound Waterfront Paradise

The FAA-registered Howell Airport, designated 00WA, is the estate's most singular distinction: a private, fully operational 1,600-by-75-foot grass airstrip that conveys with all tractor, tools, and maintenance equipment needed for continued aircraft operations. A windsock stands sentinel at the field's edge, and the existing shop and RV garage present a natural candidate for conversion into a dedicated hangar. For the aviator, the logistics of ownership have been thoughtfully anticipated at every turn.

Step inside, and the architecture shifts from the utilitarian poetry of the airfield to something more domestically grand. A double-height entryway draws the eye upward to a skylight that floods the foyer with natural light, while a staircase dressed in decorative black metal scrollwork with gold-toned finials establishes an immediate sense of crafted detail. The tiled entry flows naturally toward the main living spaces, where large windows and sliding glass doors maintain a persistent dialogue with the water beyond.

The kitchen is anchored by a bay window that frames Case Inlet as though it were a living painting — a built-in cooktop, double sink, and breakfast bar with woven stools complete a space that is both practical and quietly beautiful. The adjacent dining area, lit by a geometric wood fixture, opens toward the kitchen's built-in bar cabinetry with glass-front uppers and hanging stemware racks, lending the entertaining spaces a warmth befitting Pacific Northwest living.

Perhaps no room captures the estate's essential character more completely than the indoor pool. A long, elegant lap pool is flanked on one side by an unbroken series of large windows that open the space entirely to the Puget Sound horizon — water and sky uninterrupted, the boundary between interior and landscape rendered meaningless. It is a room that functions equally as an athletic amenity and as a meditative retreat.

The elevated deck with glass railings extends the living space over the bluff, offering a front-row vantage for watching boats transit Case Inlet or observing the shifting light of a Pacific Northwest sunset. Below, 736 feet of accessible beachfront — pebbled shoreline meeting calm water — completes the picture.

Practical considerations have not been overlooked. Air conditioning, a passive solar water system, and drought-resistant landscaping reflect a considered approach to sustainable stewardship of the land. The basement level adds a further dimension of versatility, with a wood-burning stove, sliding glass doors to the exterior, and flexible living space suited equally to a family room, guest suite, or entertainment lounge. This is a property built for a life lived fully and on one's own terms.

Longbranch occupies the southern tip of the Key Peninsula, a slender finger of land that extends southward between Case Inlet and Carr Inlet into the heart of South Puget Sound. It is a place that has long attracted those who come seeking deliberate distance from the urban rhythms of the greater Seattle metropolitan area — close enough to the city to remain connected, remote enough to feel genuinely apart from it.

The Key Peninsula's character is shaped by its geography: dense stands of Douglas fir and western red cedar meet grassy bluffs above calm, protected inlets, and the water is a near-constant presence in daily life. Case Inlet, which this property directly overlooks, is a quiet, protected arm of Puget Sound known for its calm conditions, recreational boating, kayaking, and the occasional seal or great blue heron moving along its shores. The inlet connects southward to the broader waters of South Puget Sound, offering access to the wider maritime culture of the region.

Longbranch itself is a small, unincorporated community with a history rooted in fishing, farming, and the kind of self-reliant rural life that the Key Peninsula has long fostered. The Longbranch Improvement Club, one of the oldest community organizations in Pierce County, has served as the social and civic backbone of the area for well over a century, reflecting a community that values continuity, stewardship of the land, and neighborly connection.

The nearby town of Gig Harbor — accessible via the Purdy Spit bridge and Highway 302 — provides a more complete array of amenities: a working waterfront with restaurants, galleries, and boutique retail, as well as grocery, medical, and professional services. Gig Harbor has earned a reputation as one of the most livable small cities in Washington State, frequently recognized for its quality of life, its arts community, and its maritime heritage. The Tacoma Narrows Airport, located in nearby Gig Harbor, offers general aviation services for those moments when the private airstrip calls for a supplement.

For the aviation community specifically, the South Puget Sound region offers a rich network of general aviation resources. The area's relatively mild maritime climate, while occasionally overcast, provides a significant number of flyable days annually, and the visual approaches over the Sound — with water, forest, and the Olympic Mountains beyond — rank among the most scenically rewarding in the Pacific Northwest.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is approximately 50 miles to the north, while the city of Tacoma and its cultural institutions, including the Museum of Glass and the Washington State History Museum, lie within reasonable driving distance. For those who prefer to remain closer to home, the Key Peninsula offers hiking trails, state parks, and the working farms and orchards of a region that takes quiet pride in its agrarian roots.

This is a landscape for those who understand that true luxury is not density of amenity but depth of experience — the ability to launch from one's own runway, walk one's own beach, and watch the sun descend over Puget Sound from a deck that belongs entirely to you.