James King Farmhouse
The farmhouse was built by James King in 1894, after his log cabin had been destroyed by fire. The King farm grew to 445 acres at its peak where 80 acres was used for crops and the balance for grazing. The family raised sheep and cattle and tended an orchard of some 300 pear and apple trees. George Peacock, an early supporter of the Historical Society, donated the grounds to the Historical Society for use as a museum in 1966.
From 2009 through 2011 the farmhouse has been treated to extensive restoration work which included a new foundation and interior & exterior painting. Funding was sourced through the sale of a historic preservation and conservation easement to the San Juan County Land Bank and by membership contributions.
Carriage House
The carriage house is one of the original buildings on the King farmstead and was essentially the garage. The first automobile did not arrive on San Juan Island until 1905 and horse-drawn vehicles were not supplanted by motor transport until the late 1920′s. The building, appropriately, houses two carriages once used on the island. In the summer of 2010 this building underwent extensive restoration.
Stone Building
The stone building was used as a root cellar for the storage of root vegetables on the King farm. There is new evidence to suggest that the building may have been used to store fruit as it originally had second level, which was removed at some point. The building retains traces of lime platered walls, heavy on sand, with a trompe d’oeil (trick of the eye) scoring of the plaster to resemble a brick wall.
Milk House
The milk house was another original building on the farmstead. The King family had over 50 dairy cows grazing on their farm. A creamery was located in Friday Harbor into the 1960′s and many island farms sold cream to the dairy which was used in the prduction of products from cheeses to ice cream.
The Jail
The first San Juan County jail was built in 1894 and was used until 1971. It was located behind the county courthouse for its active years. Due to its age and primitive accommodations it was condemmed and declared to be “the worst jail in the state of Washington.” It was moved to the museum grounds in 1982 and today houses an exhibit depicting law related issues of smuggling, prohibition and the infamous murders that are a part of the history of the island.
The Barn
The barn was constructed by the museum in the 1980′s for storage of larger equipment. It serves to replace a barn that burned in a spectacular blaze in the 1930′s. It is believed the fire was caused by hay that had ignited by spontaneous combustion. It is currently in the midst of an expansion and renovation project with a planned completion date slated for mid 2012. Once completed it will house exhibits highlighting the past core island industries of fishing, farming, logging and lime works. Currently, the barn houses an exhibit interpreting the life of pioneer Jim Crook and a display on the history of the Friday Harbor Fire Department.
The Scribner Log Cabin
Edward Scribner built the log cabin in 1891 near Mitchell Bay on the northwest side of San Juan Island. The Scribners raised nine children in this small cabin, which consists of two small rooms and a sleeping loft. The cabin was constructed with massive old growth logs. It was moved to the museum grounds in the 1990′s, where it was restored back to near original condition.
Etta E. Egeland Resource Center
This building is named in honor of our founder Etta Elizabeth Lightheart Egeland. This building houses the museum’s rotating exhibits, research library, museum offices and archival storage.