Starks Barn (Nanaimo, British Columbia)

 barn, agriculture, 1880_construction, 1880s construction

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Year of construction: 1880

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Louis Stark made his way to California and in 1858 he and his family were among 600 expatriates who came to Canada from San Francisco in order to live in freedom & equality. Louis and his wife Sylvia preempted 200-acres of land and settled on Salt Spring Island in 1860. They were among 13 black families who became Salt Spring's first agriculturists. Louis Stark eventually established a farm in Chase River in the 1870s.

Stark is credited with developing what is now known as the Stark apple at his 500-tree apple orchard on the present site of Chase River Elementary School. His daughter Emily Stark Clark, was the first teacher at North Cedar School and the first black teacher in British Columbia, a significant achievement in early 19th century Canada.

Louis Stark was murdered in 1895. It is speculated that Stark, who had significant coal measures on his property, was murdered so that others could acquire clear access to this coal.

This small barn is an excellent example of an early agricultural building and a visible reminder of the area's farming heritage. The building is located amidst mature vegetation on a large lot and is prominently viewed from both Extension Road and the adjacent school.

The nearby railway crossing is called Stark's Crossing and there is Stark Lake in Extension.

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