A Carpenter’s Covenant with Scott Dolfay
Join us for a conversation with Scott Dolfay—a faithful craftsman drawn into a century-old story of memory, myth, and the unexpected grace of chosen family. From the Aleutian Islands to the Skagit Valley to a Mission Revival mansion nestled in Seattle’s Windermere neighborhood, Scott’s journey has been shaped by quiet conviction, rugged craftsmanship, and a sacred commitment to place. Hear how his life was transformed by a house that touched the world—and, for a fleeting moment, came to embody the soul of a community.
At the heart of this story stands Loch Kelden—the 1907 Roland Denny Mansion, named to evoke the misty Scottish heritage of its founders and echoing with the layered histories of a rapidly evolving city. Originally built as a summer home by Roland Denny—the youngest member of Seattle’s earliest settler cohort—it later became the Pacific Northwest hub of the Unification Church, a new religious movement often misunderstood yet quietly rooted in service, mission, and community.
Over time, Loch Kelden emerged as a space of unlikely unity:
Between the descendants of settlers and the Duwamish people
Between spiritual ministry and neighborhood resistance
Between faith traditions, chosen family, and those often pushed to the margins
It was also a place touched by shadow—unexplained fires, financial uncertainty, and even a murder next door, which cast a long and eerie silhouette across its tapestried halls.
When we first recorded this episode, Loch Kelden still stood, worn but intact. Since then, the mansion has been demolished, closing the chapter on a remarkable space of memory, ministry, and meaning. But Scott’s decades-long stewardship endures—a quiet covenant of love, struggle, and belief in the enduring power of place.
Through Scott’s voice, we meet a cast of unforgettable figures:
Greg Palmer, Denny descendant and inclusion advocate
Brewster Denny, civic leader and historian
And even Reverend Sun Myung Moon, whose presence redefined the mansion’s purpose for a new generation
This is a story of family—by blood and by bond. Of reverence, reinvention, and the enduring imprint of a place that mattered—one Scott Dolfay brings vividly to life.
Host: Edward Krigsman
Guests: Scott Dolfay
Sound Engineering: Daniel Gunther
Recording Studio: Jack Straw Cultural Center, Seattle
Photography: Travis Lawton
Administration: Mary Mansour
Series music: Theme by Tomo Nakayama as performed Grand Hallway; Additional music by Andrew Weathers and Fox Hunt
Episode Music: Japan Sun Hawk Choir
We record on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish peoples.
“Every generation has to decide what they value. I take some consolation in the fact that we did hold on to the building, preserve it as long as we did, did have the centennial. A lot of people have wonderful memories there—it was like a second home.”
