For more than 15 years, the White River Valley Museum has been working with the City of Auburn to restore Mary Olson Farm, the best preserved historic subsistence farm in King County.
The vast majority of the restoration efforts are finished and the farm will celebrate with a free grand-opening event on June 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis will join museum and farm director Patricia Cosgrove for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m.
“The grand opening is going to be a great day and we want people to come and see all the farm has to offer,” Cosgrove said. “Fill a picnic basket and bring a blanket to have lunch on the grounds, and then have fun exploring the farm and feeding our resident chickens and goats.”
Opening-day visitors will have the option of walking around the farm at their leisure or receiving a tour from a volunteer docent, Cosgrove said.
Visitors can also participate in old-fashioned games such as wheelbarrow races, egg tosses and three-legged races.
“This has been years in the making, so we are incredibly excited for the grand opening of the Mary Olson Farm,” Lewis said. “This wouldn’t have been possible without the time, dedication and donations of numerous organizations and individuals.”
The City purchased Olson Farm through the King County Conservation Futures Fund in 1994 and the restoration work started a few years later, following a period of planning. The farm’s restoration budget totaled $1.64 million, of which $1.61 million was raised through City support, donations and grants. All donors will be officially recognized at the grand-opening event.
Today, Olson Farm is a King County Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. Significant features include an 1897 barn, a fully restored 1902 farmhouse, a century-old orchard, three salmon runs in Olson Creek and a remarkable collection of outbuildings, including a smoke house, outhouse and weaving house. The farm will operate as a living history and environmental learning site, and will also be available for community and special events.
Despite the ongoing restoration work, Olson Farm has hosted field trips for first and sixth graders in the Auburn School District since 2007. The first grade students explore life on the farm and where our food comes from, while the sixth graders learn about stream ecology and salmon life cycles. Tours for students from private schools and other districts were initiated in 2010.
Residents of Auburn and the surrounding communities also got a sneak peek of Mary Olson Farm during the Hops & Crops Harvest Festival last September. The event celebrated hops, a former lucrative cash crop for the farm, and helped raise funds for the final restoration work. Guests were able to sample beers from several local breweries while enjoying live music and a marketplace. Because of its popularity, Hops & Crops will take place this year on Sept. 24.
Mary Olson Farm is located at 28728 Green River Road in Auburn. This summer, drop-in hours are available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during these weekends: June 25-26; July 9-10, 23-24; Aug. 13-14, 27-28; and Sept. 10-11. Admission for the summer drop-in hours is $5 adults, $3 children/seniors and $15 for a household or family.
About the museum
The White River Valley Museum is a partnership with the City of Auburn and combines history and culture to create an exciting and educational experience for visitors. Museum collections focus on Puget Sound history, Northwest Indian culture, Japanese immigration and the Northern Pacific Railroad.
The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. and is located at 918 H St. SE, Auburn. Regular admission is $2 adults, $1 seniors and children. Admission is free on Wednesdays and the fourth Sunday of the month. Call 253-288-7433 or visit www.wrvmuseum.org for event information.
