In Twin Peaks episode 1.003, 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 and episodes 2.006, 2.009, and 2.017.
WHERE IS THE BOOKHOUSE IN WASHINGTON STATE LOCATED?
According to a deleted scene from the Pilot, 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.
In 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.
The Bookhouse location is found just down the street from the location of Hap’s Diner from the film.
WHO OWNS THE BOOKHOUSE BUILDING?
It 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.
The 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.
An image I found on King County Property Appraiser website provides a closer look at this small home.
VIEWS OF THE BOOKHOUSE IN WASHINGTON STATE
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 was filmed in February-March 1989.
Similar 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 Snoqualmie Valley.
When I first visited the location in August 1996 during the Twin Peaks Fan Fest, cream colored siding and newly painted accents had changed the look of this spot.
Long-time Twin Peaks fan and former Twin Peaks Fan Festival organizer Jared Lyon took this photo of the Bookhouse on August 19, 2001 during the festival that year.
A year later, he grabbed another image of The Bookhouse on August 18, 2002.
Sometime after 2008, the building was remodeled again with green siding and a new roof. Fellow Bookhouse Boy Vinnie Guidera shared a photo of the Bookhouse from a visit in 2013.
Metal fences were once placed around the area as the adjacent lot was home to a Recreational Vehicle park (you can see it in this photograph by Jeff Hitchcock). Thankfully the park was relocated and the area is once again open.
When I stayed at the Roadhouse Restaurant and Inn for the Real Twin Peaks 2024 event, I grabbed this rare shot of The Bookhouse from the staircase to the second floor.
One thing I noticed was the green paint on the siding was beginning to peel. The building was red in the show so I wonder if this was the actual color peeking through.
“HEMINGWAY’S” IN THE PILOT
Before this location was named “The Bookhouse,” it was named “Hemingway’s” after the American novelist and short story author Ernest Hemingway. The first revised draft of “Northwest Passage” on December 7, 1988 had a daytime scene with Donna Hayward and Jake Morissey [sic], the aforementioned owner of the Bookhouse and Roadhouse. It was placed after Cooper examines Laura Palmer’s body.
EXT. BACK OF ROADHOUSE – DAY
Donna Hayward drives up in a Mercedes-Benz station wagon and parks behind the Roadhouse Nightclub, near a couple of motorcycles, in front of a large, wooden shed. On the roof of the shed is an erector-set-like oil derrick-shaped structure, supporting a small, blue neon sign that reads: “HEMINGWAY’S” Donna goes up the steps to the door, knocks and enters.
CUT TO: INT. HEMINGWAY’S – DAY
A sparsely furnished coffee house. Two walls with shelves packed with books. On the wall behind a small raised platform is a large, black and white photograph of Ernest Hemingway. Two BIKERS in black leather sit at one of the tables, reading books. JAKE MORISSEY [sic], the large, friendly owner of the Roadhouse and “Hemingway’s”, wearing an apron, is cleaning an unique brass Espresso machine.
DONNA
Is James around?
JAKE
He was. You just missed him.
DONNA
Thanks.
Donna exits.
The action then cuts to Donna waiting outside Big Ed’s Gas Farm. It’s unclear the scene was ever shot, but the description mentions the “blue neon sign”which appears on the roof, and “Jake Morrissey,” which Truman would have later explains to Cooper in the episode.
FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE BOOKHOUSE IN THE TWIN PEAKS PILOT
Scenes at The Bookhouse and The Roadhouse were shot on March 11, 1989. The crew was at the location both during the day and then stayed until night. An establishing shot of the Bookhouse with motorcycles parked out front is the first time we see this location during the Pilot.
INT. SHERIFF’S CRUISER – NIGHT
Steadman [Note: Truman’s original name] and Cooper are in the front seat. Cooper is whittling a small stick with a pocket knife. Through the windshield, they have a prime view of “Hemingway’s”, behind the Roadhouse building. About twenty motorcycles, mostly Harleys, are parked outside.
Here is the front of The Bookhouse as seen through a metal fence in February 2023.
The action eventually cuts to Joey Paulsen and Donna Hayward running through the parking lot toward Joey’s white motorcycle. I combined the panning shot of the couple running to create the image above.
Joey and Donna quickly leave the scene. Combined another panning shot to get the image above.
When I visited in September 2019, the parking lot had lots of overgrown bushes and the metal fence to the RV Storage area was still in place.
THE BOOKHOUSE IN EPISODE 2.006
The Bookhouse returns in episode 2.006 as an establishing shot. It’s slightly cropped compared to the pilot but basically it’s recycled footage from that first episode.
The metal fence now blocks the view of The Bookhouse but at least the RV Storage Park is now gone.
THE BOOKHOUSE IN EPISODE 2.009
Episode 2.009 returns to the Roadhouse. The establishing shot includes both the Bookhouse and The Roadhouse. The action in the script matches what happens in the broadcasted episode
EXT. THE ROADHOUSE – DAY
Establish. The storm now grips the region. Thunder and lightning in the dark sky.
The frame-by-frame of this establishing shot has the image darkening as lightning strikes.
Then the scene becomes a negative image.
It quickly returns to a full color scene as lighting continues striking above the Roadhouse
While I’d like to believe the crew caught this lighting strike just at the correct time, it was most likely added in post production.
With the RV Storage park gone, I could finally capture a similar shot during my visit to the Real Twin Peaks event on February 26, 2023.
A year later, I grabbed another shot while staying at the Roadhouse Restaurant and Inn on February 23, 2024.
THE BOOKHOUSE SIGN IN EPISODE 2.017
One of my favorite images from this site comes from Episode 2.017 – a blue neon sign for The Bookhouse attached to trees above the roof. You can see the sign from afar in the Pilot and Episodes 2.006 and 2.009.
Upon closer examination, the sign is mounted exactly the way it was described in the first revised draft of “Northwest Passage” in 1988.
On the roof of the shed is an erector-set-like oil derrick-shaped structure, supporting a small, blue neon sign that reads: “HEMINGWAY’S” (Note: the name was obviously changed to “The Bookhouse”).
The color grading turned the scene very blue. I adjusted the color to show what it wold have looked like without the blue hue.
The sign would have been mounted on the upper right side of the home.
When the roof was changed in the late 2008s, the metal lining was removed. I wonder who made the neon sign and if it still exists today.
INTWINPEAKS.COM – THE REAL BOOKHOUSE
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).
