Antique coal furnace unearthed at fairgrounds

A maintenance crew discovered a historic furnace hidden in the Whidbey Island Fairgrounds.

By Kira Erickson • February 13, 2026 1:30 am

In what sounds like a plot from the “Nancy Drew” books, a maintenance crew discovered a historic furnace hidden underneath the floor of a toolshed on the Whidbey Island Fairgrounds.

Jim Pivarnik, executive director for the Port of South Whidbey, said the lean-to structure known as Grandpa’s Toolshed was added sometime in the 1970s. It is attached to the Pole Building, built in 1937 and one of the bigger structures on the fairgrounds.

The toolshed has been used as a maintenance shop for decades, but the crew recently moved their equipment to a better facility as ongoing renovations take place on the fairgrounds, Pivarnik said. Once empty, it was clear that the shed’s wooden floor was sagging and rotting away. Upon further inspection, the crew realized that years of rabbits digging and rainwater had compromised the structure, according to a press release from the port.

The crew removed the floor, revealing a hidden staircase that leads to an antique coal-burning furnace under the Pole Building. It appears to date back to 1912 and is believed to be manufactured in Bloomington, Illinois, the press release stated.

Pivarnik surmised that the coal furnace was used to heat the entire Pole Building. It measures about two feet wide and three feet tall.

“It’s amazing how preserved it is,” he said. “It’s in beautiful shape.”

Coca-Cola bottles from the ‘50s and other artifacts were found surrounding it.

“I’d be afraid to light anything in it, but it’s something we’re gonna keep there to kind of memorialize the antique part of the building,” Pivarnik said.

Whether the toolshed will remain will be determined later. The port is in the process of applying for grant funds to fix up the fairgrounds.

“We were hoping to find millions of dollars down there so we could redo the building, but no such luck,” Pivarnik quipped.

Since the discovery in January, the port has contacted the Island County Historical Society, but not much more about the furnace has been uncovered since then. Community members who might have insights or information about the relic are invited to reach out with their stories.