Dec. 13 — Preserving Pierce County barns saves our heritage

When settlers came to the area during the late 1800s and early 1900s, they raised barns. Before building a place for their families to live, the early Pierce County residents made sure there was a place for their livestock and farm equipment — the things that ensured success when living off the land. The barns have become a part of this community’s heritage. Many of today’s barn owners bought their property specifically for the farming structures. The years have taken a toll on the barns, though, leaving owners struggling whether to do costly repairs or simply tear them down. Removing them from the landscape would erase a large part of Pierce County’s past.

In an effort to preserve the cultural significance that barns represent, the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation developed a program to allow owners to make repairs through a 50/50 matching grant. If barn owners would front 50 percent of the money for repairs, a grant would cover the other 50 percent. House Bill 2115 outlining the program was passed last May and designated $460,000 in matching funds to be used for barns selected until 2009. When more than 150 barns were selected in November for Round One of the Historic Barn Register, 14 of them were from Pierce County. The deadline for more barns to be listed is Dec. 21. Once a barn is selected for the Historic Barn Register, owners can apply for the matching grant. While the program lessens the financial burden of expensive repairs, it also benefits the community. If owners wish to take advantage of the program, they must present their repair plans to the department and have two years to complete their project. The plans must include explanation of how the repairs will benefit the public. The owners have to commit to maintaining their barn for the next 10 years. If they don’t keep their barn in good shape, the owners have to repay the department the same amount of money that was given to them. So that the community can become more involved with its heritage, owners are required, within reason, to provide public access to the barns, including visits from non-profit organizations and school groups at least once a year.