Elliott Bay Book Company turns the page on its first 50 years

In Elliott Bay Book Company's five-decade existence, the store has seen a lot: Amazon and Ebooks arrived, Borders came and went, the store physically moved from its original Pioneer Square location to 10th Ave on Capitol Hill, and new owners took the helm.

Murf Hall, his husband and business partner, Joey Burgess, and long-time Elliott Bay employee Tracy Taylor bought the place last year.

Hall may be new to Elliott Bay, but he’s been in retail for over two decades, previously designing stores for Nordstrom.

Taylor first approached him and Burgess about running the store after they worked together designing a magazine shop down the street called Big Little News.

"It just felt like the right thing to do from the magazine shop to this," Hall said. "It felt like the natural progression of our relationship with Tracy, and Tracy has been embedded in Elliott Bay for 30 plus years."

Hall pointed out many of the mainstays through the store's 50 years: It's still a literary hub for the city, many of the wood shelves are from the original store, and the space still holds reading from internationally recognized authors.

However, this bookstore is also surrounded by change. Hall said he views himself as a steward of Elliott Bay Book Company's legacy.

"It feels like it's bigger than just a business that files taxes every year. It's something that is so engaged and...deeply rooted in the community that there's something bigger than just these four walls that we need to preserve and protect," he said.