Last updated: May 23, 2023
Place
Sandwith Orchard
Quick Facts
Amenities
1 listed
Parking - Auto
In 1999, the Sandwith Orchard was overgrown with chest heigh wild Nootka rose bushes and its historic heirloom fruit trees were choked by thick snowberry vines. The orchard, parts of which were planted as early as 1875, had been largely untended since 1935 when its third owner lost it in a Depression-Era bank foreclosure. Consequently, it required significant restoration work if it was going to become a historically accurate landscape. This did not deter National Park Service cultural landscape preservation staff who worked with maintenance personnel to restore the historic orchard through hard work and scientific inquiry.
Cuttings were taken from 9 historic trees and analyzed at USDA genetic laboratories to identify the heirloom varieties that grew in the orchard. Additional cuttings from these trees and the pear trees at the English Camp Parade Grounds and plum trees at the Crook House were grafted onto seedling root stock at the Raintree Nursery in Morton, WA. These saplings were nursed for two years and then on March 14, 2009, 11 pear, five apricot, four apple, and three plum were planted by a combination of park service staff, local volunteers, and members of the Washington Conservation Corps. Since this time the trees have matured, and fruit is available for foragers in this area around the beginning of August.
This orchard is part of the Sandwith Homestead, a tract settled and farmed by Isaac Sandwith from 1875-1902. Sandwith built a house using material salvaged from one of the English Camp buildings which were abandoned 3 years earlier and constructed several farm structures, including a barn, stable, granary, chicken house, and fences. Sandwith’s homestead abutted the land of Augustus Hofmeister, the English Camp sutler whose operation provided meat, fruit, and vegetables for the Royal Marines at English Camp. Hofmeister, who chose to remain on San Juan Island after the English military he was a part of departed, died a year prior to Sandwith’s settlement. Sandwith, who paid rent to Hofmeister’s estate, almost certainly incorporated some of Hofmeister’s improvements into his homestead.
The Sandwith Orchard was part of a 160-acre homestead, raising sheep, cattle, hogs, grain, fruit, and vegetables which Isaac Sandwith farmed for 27 years. This orchard held fruit that came ripe sequentially over the course of late summer and fall, providing a series of different fruits for the Sandwith family for eating and preservation. Oral histories also indicate that the Sandwiths sold fruit to native Americans who passed through San Juan Island as part of their seasonal rounds. Isaac Sandwith eventually acquired 640 acres of range land for the 1,000 sheep he owned around 1901.
In 1902, Sandwith sold his farmland to Dr. Victor J. Capron, a prominent citizen and local doctor. Capron, the creator of the first telephone lines on San Juan Island, was noted for his technological savvy and willingness to do house calls. His portable x-ray machine, which he modified to power through his car’s battery, combined his technical skill and love of community service. In 1926, Capron sold the former homestead to farmer Alfred Douglas, who had lived on San Juan Island since 1870; Douglas would lose the land in 1935, when he was unable to pay his mortgage and the bank foreclosed on this property.The Sandwith Orchard abutted the Old Military Road, a road that connected English Camp and American Camp, traces of which can still be seen on the landscape. Remains of the Sandwith home and other archaeological resources can also be found in the nearby woods including the Sandwith home's foundations, artifacts, and remnants of a stone wall that likely enclosed the farm.
If you are interested in seeing additional remains of San Juan Island’s homestead period, you can visit the Crook House located at English Camp. While there, you can tour the historic structures on the English Camp Parade Ground such as the Barracks and blockhouse which provide a sense of the building that Isaac Sandwith tore down to construct his house. If you want to learn more of the Pig War stop by our American Camp Visitor Center, where rangers and volunteers will eagerly answer any of your questions!
Cuttings were taken from 9 historic trees and analyzed at USDA genetic laboratories to identify the heirloom varieties that grew in the orchard. Additional cuttings from these trees and the pear trees at the English Camp Parade Grounds and plum trees at the Crook House were grafted onto seedling root stock at the Raintree Nursery in Morton, WA. These saplings were nursed for two years and then on March 14, 2009, 11 pear, five apricot, four apple, and three plum were planted by a combination of park service staff, local volunteers, and members of the Washington Conservation Corps. Since this time the trees have matured, and fruit is available for foragers in this area around the beginning of August.
This orchard is part of the Sandwith Homestead, a tract settled and farmed by Isaac Sandwith from 1875-1902. Sandwith built a house using material salvaged from one of the English Camp buildings which were abandoned 3 years earlier and constructed several farm structures, including a barn, stable, granary, chicken house, and fences. Sandwith’s homestead abutted the land of Augustus Hofmeister, the English Camp sutler whose operation provided meat, fruit, and vegetables for the Royal Marines at English Camp. Hofmeister, who chose to remain on San Juan Island after the English military he was a part of departed, died a year prior to Sandwith’s settlement. Sandwith, who paid rent to Hofmeister’s estate, almost certainly incorporated some of Hofmeister’s improvements into his homestead.
The Sandwith Orchard was part of a 160-acre homestead, raising sheep, cattle, hogs, grain, fruit, and vegetables which Isaac Sandwith farmed for 27 years. This orchard held fruit that came ripe sequentially over the course of late summer and fall, providing a series of different fruits for the Sandwith family for eating and preservation. Oral histories also indicate that the Sandwiths sold fruit to native Americans who passed through San Juan Island as part of their seasonal rounds. Isaac Sandwith eventually acquired 640 acres of range land for the 1,000 sheep he owned around 1901.
In 1902, Sandwith sold his farmland to Dr. Victor J. Capron, a prominent citizen and local doctor. Capron, the creator of the first telephone lines on San Juan Island, was noted for his technological savvy and willingness to do house calls. His portable x-ray machine, which he modified to power through his car’s battery, combined his technical skill and love of community service. In 1926, Capron sold the former homestead to farmer Alfred Douglas, who had lived on San Juan Island since 1870; Douglas would lose the land in 1935, when he was unable to pay his mortgage and the bank foreclosed on this property.The Sandwith Orchard abutted the Old Military Road, a road that connected English Camp and American Camp, traces of which can still be seen on the landscape. Remains of the Sandwith home and other archaeological resources can also be found in the nearby woods including the Sandwith home's foundations, artifacts, and remnants of a stone wall that likely enclosed the farm.
If you are interested in seeing additional remains of San Juan Island’s homestead period, you can visit the Crook House located at English Camp. While there, you can tour the historic structures on the English Camp Parade Ground such as the Barracks and blockhouse which provide a sense of the building that Isaac Sandwith tore down to construct his house. If you want to learn more of the Pig War stop by our American Camp Visitor Center, where rangers and volunteers will eagerly answer any of your questions!