Congratulations to the Washington Heritage Barn Program! The program recently was given an Honor Award by the National Trust for Historic Preservation at their annual conference in Spokane. Richaven principal Brian Rich is a member of the Heritage Barn Advisory Committee and attended the awards ceremony. Here’s the official press release from the National Trust about the award:
Washington’s State Heritage Barn Preservation Initiative is a fantastic example of how a grassroots network can work in collaboration with a variety of officials and agencies to produce legislative success.
House Bill 2115 was approved by the Washington state legislature in 2007 with overwhelming support and established the creation of a state heritage Barn Register, with a matching grant program to provide assistance to historic barn owners rehabilitating their properties. In less than 5 years, 486 barns have been included in the register. Three grant rounds have awarded $1 million in state matching grants to owners of 46 historic barns – 40 of which are still in active agricultural use.
While upgrading and restoring their barns, farmers are utilizing local lumber yards, hardware stores and labor, bringing a boost to the state’s economy. Through this remarkable program, Washington State is sowing the seeds of preservation in all 39 of its counties, and this initiative is certain to keep on growing.
Photographs and original content copyright Richaven PLLC, 2012