Arcady Farm Conservation Easement

Orcas Island

Acting under the authority of the 1862 Homestead Act, President Chester Arthur originally granted this 30-acre property located above Arcady Cove on Orcas Island’s Deer Harbor 1883 to Joseph H. Bridges. Fred Whitridge and his late wife, Betty, eventually purchased the land in 1973 and named it “Arcady Farm.”

Upon taking ownership of this property, Fred and Betty noticed that passing motorists would often stop along the adjacent county road to enjoy the scenic views over the farm’s pastures to the water and beyond.  Motivated by the desire to permanently preserve this vista for future generations of islanders and visitors, Betty and Fred approached the San Juan Preservation Trust in 1990 to create a conservation easement that protects this scenic view corridor in perpetuity. In 2002, an amendment to this conservation easement removed two potential development rights from the property and expanded the size of the protected view. Fred Whitridge served on SJPT’s board of trustees from 1984 to 2003.