This barn is divided into two distinct time periods and construction techniques: the hog barn, dating to the early decades of the 20th century, and the addition that was hastily construction after the first barn on the property burned to the ground in 1954. The hog barn was converted into a milking parlor in 1954. With the passing of the donation land claim Act in 1850, Congress agreed to grant land in the Oregon Territory to American settlers willing to farm it. During this time, settlement of Central Whidbey Island accelerated and John Alexander claimed 320 acres of land between Ebey’s Prairie and Penn Cove. The Alexanders’ first house on the property was the site of the first Island County Commissioners meeting on April 4, 1853. After John Alexander’s death, the land passed to his wife, who sold the southern-most 160 acres to Bathalina Harmon in 1859. The Harmons constructed a house on the property before selling it to Daniel Pearson in 1869. The property then passed to Mr. Pearson’s daughter, Flora A. Pearson Engle. After his death, it has remained in the Engle Family for four generations.
The original barn on the property burned in 1954. That same year, a hastily constructed addition was put on the property’s hog barn to serve as a temporary structure and provided straw bale storage. The property is an excellent example of the typical cluster plan seen throughout the area. The barn is surrounded by crop fields. The remains of an orchard, the family’s home, and additional agricultural buildings typical of the area including a tank house, granary, milk house, and carriage house.
