SAVE THE PETERSEN BARN - HALT IMMEDIATE DEMOLITION
THE STORY:
The Great Peninsula Conservancy (GPC) has confirmed that demolition of the historic 1902 Petersen Barn is scheduled to begin Monday morning, August 10th.
The Kitsap Community & Agricultural Alliance (KCAA) is asking GPC to PAUSE the demolition and engage the community before an irreplaceable piece of Kitsap's agricultural history is lost forever.
This is not a new concern. KCAA has been working for more than 18 months to understand GPC’s plans to demolish the barn and to encourage a transparent, collaborative process.
THE KCAA IS ASKING:
• Great Peninsula Conservancy has said it has an engineering report recommending the barn to be torn down. Where is the engineering report?
• What specifically does the engineering report say that makes stabilization or restoration "unsafe"?
• What would stabilization and/or phased restoration actually cost?
• What portions of the original 1902 structure can be saved?
• Have all alternatives been considered, aside from complete demolition?
And most importantly: Why hasn't the agricultural community and broader public been given an opportunity to participate in this decision?
These are reasonable questions - especially when the decision is irreversible.
HERE'S HOW WE GOT HERE:
When GPC acquired the fee simple interest in the Petersen Farm in early 2025, KCAA learned that there were already plans to demolish the historic and iconic 1902 barn. The Petersen Barn is an original structure on one of Kitsap’s last remaining homesteads in Silverdale.
Rather than simply object to the demolition, the KCAA began researching the history of the farm and the barn itself. We published The History of the Petersen Farm last summer - a book documenting the significance of the farm, the barn, and the families - dating back to 1891.
Last August, KCAA coordinated an assessment of the barn by Dr. Harrison Goodall, a nationally recognized historic-barn expert. His assessment described the Petersen Barn as a “historic treasure for Kitsap County and Washington state” and noted that few barns of such significance remain. He strongly recommended the GPC plan for its long-term preservation.
Whatever GPC's plans may have been for the barn, it is important to recognize what Dr. Goodall actually determined… original portions of the 1902 barn are salvageable.
He identified the circa-1940s additions to the north, east, and south as the portions of the barn experiencing structural failure. In fact, these additions are the portions GPC continually references when discussing the areas of the barn that are “failing.”
KCAA recognizes that the later additions have problems. But Dr. Goodall’s assessment also makes clear that those problems do not automatically mean the entire barn must be demolished.
Barns of this type and significance are extraordinarily rare today. What an incredible treasure for our community - and what a loss it would be if we don't at least explore every reasonable opportunity to preserve it.
KCAA ASKED FOR A PROPER ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT.
Last October, after learning that demolition was once again imminent, KCAA asked GPC to pause and get a qualified engineer to take a closer look at the barn. GPC’s Executive Director, Nate Daniel, agreed to put the demolition plans on hold while they obtained a proper engineering report.
GPC expressed concern about the cost of hiring an engineer, so KCAA offered to help. Our Board approved up to $7,500 to cover the cost of the assessment. We simply wanted to make sure that, before a 124-year-old historic barn was torn down, another professional had a chance to evaluate it and help determine what could be preserved.
In February 2026, after months without an update, KCAA reached back out and again offered to cover the cost of the engineering assessment. Nate said they had found a structural engineer to complete the assessment and told us, “We will let you know when we have the report.”
We never received that report. We also never received an update telling us that an assessment had been completed.
Then, on June 8, 2026, GPC applied for a demolition permit with the county. The permit was approved on June 22.
And on July 14, 2026, GPC quietly published a blog post announcing that demolition would move forward.
There was still no engineering report shared with KCAA, and there had been no meaningful conversation with the broader community about the barn’s future.
WHY THIS MATTERS:
The Petersen Farm isn’t just another property.
Between 2011 and 2015, members of our community contributed more than $415,000 of their own money toward the purchase of an Agricultural Conservation Easement on the Petersen Farm. They did this because they believed they were helping protect this farm - both its agricultural and historic values - for generations to come.
That easement was consistent with Mr. Petersen’s wishes for his farm, including his expressed desire that the barn be refurbished and maintained as a farm structure into the future.
Our community trusted GPC to be a good steward of that investment - not only to protect the land and its agricultural values, but to safeguard the historic structures on the property and ensure that their conditions were properly monitored.
And this wasn’t just a community effort. The federal government also shares in ownership of the Petersen Farm easement. NRCS provided $255,000 in federal funding toward the acquisition of the easement, giving the United States specific rights under the agreement. The easement specifically identifies the historic barn as one of the conservation values to be protected.
This raises some very important questions about how the barn got to its current state under GPC’s oversight. And more importantly - if GPC is now planning to demolish it, has NRCS reviewed that decision?
These are questions that our community deserves answers to - and it isn't just a question of whether GPC owns the property. It is a question of what responsibilities come with owning and stewarding a property that has been protected through years of community investment, a federal conservation program, and an easement that specifically recognizes the barn as a historic structure worth saving.
A STATE-RECOGNIZED TREASURE:
Did you know that the Petersen Barn is recognized as a barn of historical significance by the Stat of Washington? While the registry is honorary in nature, the designation still matters. It recognizes the barn’s place in the history of our community and honors the men and women who built it, worked on it, cared for it, and protected it for generations.
And now, after 18 months of asking questions, offering assistance, and requesting transparency, GPC is telling us that “leaving the structure standing is not a viable option.”
We believe that statement deserves to be explained. It deserves to be documented. And it deserves to be openly discussed with the community before an irreplaceable piece of history is gone forever.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
• SIGN THIS PETITION calling for demolition to be halted and for the community to have an opportunity to weigh in on decisions being made.
• SHARE THIS PETITION. Help make sure our community knows what is happening on Monday, August 10th. Tag GPC. Tag Petersen Farm project partners like WSU, Kitsap Conservation District, and Business Impact Northwest. Tag your County Commissioners - Christine Rolfes, Katie Walters, and Oran Root - and others who should be aware.
• CONTACT GPC LEADERSHIP. Ask them to immediately suspend demolition of the barn and engage the community before any irreversible action is taken.
- Nate Daniel, GPC Executive Director: nate@greatpeninsula.org
- Monica Montgomery, Petersen Farm Project Manager: monica@greatpeninsula.org
- Erik Steffens, GPC Conservation Director: eriks@greatpeninsula.org
- Keith Baldwin, President of GPC’s Board of Directors: keithgbaldwin@outlook.com
- Paul Kuntz, Immediate Past President of GPC’s Board of Directors: - paul.kundtz58@gmail.com
• SHOW UP MONDAY. The KCAA will be at the Petersen Farm gate beginning at 9:00 AM on Monday, August 10th. Join us in showing your support of paused demolition, transparency and the opportunity for community engagement. Park anywhere along the Trigger exit overpass and walk toward the Clear Creek trailhead.
Once the barn is demolished, there is no going back.
We aren't asking you to take our word for it. We're asking GPC to show the community the evidence behind an irreversible decision.
Thank you!
- The KCAA Board of Directors