This Ohop Valley barn was built by Fred Henrickson in 1947. You can see it standing in all its former glory when you drive down Highway 7 through the valley.
Fred, a talented carpenter, was the son of Norwegian pioneers Jens and Christine Henricksen, and his son Gary still lives in Eatonville.
The barn is no longer in use and the land is owned by the Nisqually Land Trust, but if you concentrate, you can practically smell the dairy cows and hay fields.
These photos were taken fairly recently by Martin Burwash, who farmed here back in the 70s and 80s.
Click on images to enlarge.
Eatonville To Rainier 
7 responses to “Henrickson Barn”
About 30 years ago,(1981) I re-roofed a barn very similar to that one, It was built in 1908, up in the hills of West Salem. It had the original cedar shingles still on the roof, of course very rotten. I had to strip of the old, and replace with all new Cedar Shakes (not cedar shingles , like the original) Shakes are thicker and heavier, and usually last longer. the peak of the barn was over 40 feet in the air, and the wind was always blowing. That made for a very interesting job. I had to make special bags for the shakes, so they wouldn;t blow away !! I realized half way through the job, that I had underbid waaay to low !! A learning experience, (being I figured out I did the job for about $3.00 hr.) 😦 …..I was up in that area about a year ago, and the roof is still looking good, it will probably last another 50 years !! It would have been so much easier if i could have done it with steel, like on a pole barn. !! I love old barns, they have so much character. PS, I tried NOT to smell the cows while i was looking at the pictures !! (LOL)
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I’m an old barn nut too. The metal roofs have been a life saver for many, but the shingles are definitely aesthetically pleasing.
I’m in awe you re-roorfed a barn. I helped re-roof our house and have never been more sore in my life. Roofers earn every penny! (All $3.00 a hr.)
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You DID notice that was 30 years ago !! I can’t even get up on a roof anymore !! Step ladders are almost out of the question !! (LOL)
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[…] Today this portion of Ohop Valley is the site of Nisqually Land Trust work. But in the 1940s through the 1980s this was a working farm. The barn was built in 1947 by Fred Henrickson and is still standing today. […]
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What a GORGEOUS barn, I am a barn fanatic. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!!
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On our way home this afternoon from Longmire, we were shocked to see this beautiful barn had collapsed. The Henrickson barn was by far the most beautiful and intriguing barn I’ve ever seen. We were hoping to obtain permission at some point to photograph the barn. I am bummed out we wont get the opportunity now to photograph the barn. But I’m even more bummed out for the community, they lost a really neat barn. Maybe the barn could be restored or rebuilt? Time will tell.
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I know, my heart broke too. It’s on the Nisqually Land Trust property. I’m not sure what the plans are.
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