Bainbridge Island runs deep with Northwest history, and its community is making sure that history is preserved.
The Bainbridge Historic Preservation Commission has announced that five buildings have been added to the city’s historic registry.
The registry now totals 23 historic sites on the island.
The new additions include the Bay Hay & Feed building, the Farnum and Bucklin houses in Port Madison, the Lynwood Center and the Bartel house/Fort Ward Fire Station.
“The fort was definitely very active during the wars, so we wanted to preserve as much of the history as we could and we hoped by putting (the fire house) on the registry we can do that,” said Suzane Bartel, who currently lives in the former fire house with her husband Art.
The Bartels celebrated the firehouse’s 100-year anniversary on March 23.
“We gave it a little party and invited our friends and invited people who were instrumental in keeping it patched together,” Bartel said.
The registry lists historic buildings and sites on Bainbridge Island and is managed by the city’s historic preservation commission.
“It’s a way to honor the place where you live and it has the potential to add to the market value of your house,” said David Williams, chairman of the historic preservation commission. “There are possible economic and property tax benefits as well, and you can get discounts at local merchants for restoration purchases.”
This month, Bay Hay & Feed also celebrated the 100-year anniversary of their historic building.
After a site has been nominated to be included on the register, the commission will vote to approve it based on criteria that includes if the site was the birthplace of a historic person, if it is associated with local or national history, or if it is an example of an outstanding work architecture.
Anyone can nominate a building to be on the register.
However, the current owners must approve the building’s inclusion, and ultimately owners have the ability to remove a site from the register even after it makes the list.
“Basically, there is no downside to being on the register,” Williams said. “The more structures we get on the registry, it will increase awareness of the island’s history and preserve them.”
