In 1941, this unique building stood at the edge of a yacht harbor and was constructed for the Sea Scouts, part of the Boy Scouts of America. Local architects Birge and David Clark designed it to honor its location on the water, shaping the main hall like a rounded ship's hull and including porthole windows and gangplank decks. Palo Alto philanthropist Lucie Stern commissioned the building, which originally cost $12,000. After 50 years of use, the Sea Scouts left the base in 1991, five years after Palo Alto residents voted to stop dredging and let the harbor return to marshland. With its rich history, Palo Alto designated the Sea Scout base a local historic building in 2002. The Environmental Volunteers restored the abandoned building and, as of 2012, gave it new life as a community center for environmental education.