Roy Prestholt Turkey Barn, Lopez Island

Ever wonder about that barn with the bicycle in the gable that you see when you turn the corner on Fisherman Bay Road at its intersection with Military Road on Lopez Island?  Well, it’s a poultry barn, which gives it that unique profile with its monitor roof.

In the 1950s Roy Prestholt built this barn for raising turkeys on land owned by T.J. Blake; allegedly it went up in a mere three weekends.  However, it is also told that it was never used for its original purpose!  Oriented east-west, the structure is 60′ wide by 100′ long, 27′ tall, and has bands of window spaces along its sides.  The monitor walls also have ventilation slats, and there are two bands of windows on the gable ends.  The plan consists of two 20′ banks of pens flanking a 20′-wide center drive.  The building is constructed with a concrete floor and stem walls, with wood framing above.

Gable Dormer Used as a Granary

A prominent feature of this barn is the large gable dormer on the north side, which was used as a granary for the poultry food; doors allowed for loading the feed directly into the second-story space above the pens on the ground floor.

So the next time you drive by, take a minute to pull over for a closer look, without trespassing, of course–it will reward your attention.