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 →

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 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 →

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 →

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 →

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 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 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 →

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 →

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 →