Along with changes in Fall foliage and the bringing in of the harvest, October offers the opportunity to reflect on the wonderful restorations of some old island barns. The Griswold Barn on Blind Bay, Shaw Island, is a great example: originally built for dairy operations, the structure has been carefully restored, with reinforced foundations and new flooring, roofing, … Continue reading
Author Archives: historicbarnssanjuanislands
September 2016: WALDRIP BARN, MOUNT BAKER FARM
The Waldrip Barn on Orcas Island is unique in two ways: it is the only known extant gothic-roofed barn in the San Juan Islands and we know who the architect was who designed it! Built in 1918 by Jesse Waldrip, it was designed as a dairy barn by W.R.B. Wilcox, an architect who practiced in Seattle … Continue reading
August 2016: SAN JUAN COUNTY FAIR HORSE BARN
August is San Juan County Fair time, and serendipitously the theme this year (August 17-20) is Barn & Raised in the Islands. As in the past 7 years the 100 Friends of Old Island Barns will have a display in the San Juan County Agriculture Exhibit on Historic Barns of the San Juan Islands, with a … Continue reading
July 2016: LAWSON FARM BARN
This month we celebrate another barn that is both listed on the Washington Heritage Barn Register and recently received a Heritage Barn Rehabilitation Grant. The Lawson Farm Barn is a well known and loved icon in the San Juan Island landscape; it is probably one of the most photographed, drawn, and painted barns in the islands. … Continue reading
June 2016: WILSON-KRING FARM BARN
We welcome the addition of the Wilson-Kring Farm Barn on Lopez Island to the Washington State Heritage Barn Register! John Wilson, who came to Lopez from Michigan in 1892, had a 80-acre dairy farm with his father-in-law, George Boulton. Gerhart and Frances (Gallanger) Kring later farmed the property. Although the farm was primarily dairy-based, the barn was … Continue reading
May 2016: COFFER BARN
This huge, 37′ high, 60′ wide x 68′ long gable-roofed, post-and-beam structure was built in 1946 for Phil Coffer by a local builder of note, Mr. Hathaway, with roofing help from Harry Patton and his buddy, Jerry. The plan consists of a central, floor-to-ridge hay mow with stables on either side. In addition to large doors … Continue reading
April 2016: DECATUR LOG BARN
April sure snuck up on us fast; we meant to post an April Fools Barn on the First but instead here we are, several days late and a barn short! So April’s Barn of the Month is the Decatur Log Barn simply because we know so little about it and want to appeal to our … Continue reading
March 2016: FRAZER FARM SHEEP BARN
March goes ‘In like a lion, out like a lamb,’ and it certainly is the time of year to see many lambs frolicking in barnyards and pastures throughout the islands! Sheep raising has been an important part of the islands’ agricultural economy ever since the Hudson’s Bay Company first introduced a flock of 1,369 in December, … Continue reading
February 2016: ROY PRESTHOLT TURKEY BARN
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 … Continue reading
January 2016: TURN POINT LIGHTHOUSE MULE BARN
Happy New Year! As a signal beacon for the New Year, the “Mule Barn” seems like a good choice, because it is part of the Turn Point Lighthouse complex on Stuart Island. But why are there quotes around “Mule Barn?” Because as far as we can tell it never housed a mule! US Lighthouse Board … Continue reading