The thought of her great-great grandfather’s farmhouse being reduced to rubble and memories is difficult for Kathy Lunsford.

The home, built around 1900 by Henry Riksen, is one of nine historic farmhouses at Ault Field at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

The Navy is planning to tear it down.

Lunsford and other Riksen descendants were notified of the plan in a letter dated Dec. 29 following a lengthy review of what to do with the structures.

She and her relatives had hoped the farmhouse that was once part of a prosperous 135-acre farm held enough historic meaning to Oak Harbor that it could have been saved.

They see the house as a standing reminder and symbol of sacrifices made by Riksen and the other Dutch farmers who were forced to sell their Clover Valley farms in the early 1940s and relocate to make way for the Navy base and runways that now rest at Ault Field.

But, by nature of a letter and Memorandum of Agreement she received from the Navy, Lunsford sees only a grim fate in store for the Riksen farmhouse.

“When I looked at it, I realized they plan on tearing it down,” Lunsford said. “The option they gave us was kind of ‘Move it or lose it.’

“It’s just a shame.”

The Riksen farmhouse, with its two barns, was originally identified as the most promising candidate of nine aging farmhouses on federal property to consider preserving when the review process began in 2014. Most of the other structures were moved from their original locations, some more than once.

The Navy used the remodeled homes as military housing for more than 70 years, but that practice has been phased out. Some of the barns, however, remain in use for storage and other purposes.

The homes were owned and managed by Forest City Enterprises, Inc., which was leasing the land.

Forest City sold its entire military-housing portfolio to Hunt Company, Inc., in November.

According to the MOA, the Navy is looking to save one of the houses as a functional representative example of the historic farmhouse in Clover Valley, but not the house that was part of the Riksen farm.

The farmhouse that the Navy is planning to retain is Building 2885 or Quarters K, which will remain a residence in service, the document stated.

All nine of the farmhouses at Ault Field were found to meet the criteria for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, the Navy learned through its evaluation process with the Washington State Historic Preservation Office.

The MOA states that the Navy acknowledges that the demolition of the other eight farmhouses may have an “adverse effect” on those properties’ eligibility for such historic designation.

“During Section 106 consultation with the Washington State Historic Preservation Office, as guided by the National Historic Preservation Act, the Navy evaluated nine farmhouses on Ault Field and all nine were determined eligible for listing in the National Listing of Historic Places,” NAS Whidbey spokesperson Tony Popp wrote in an email.

“The Navy also found there to be an adverse effect to the eight farmhouses being proposed for demolition. To mitigate the adverse effect, the Navy is developing a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in consultation with the Washington SHPO and descendants of the Riksen family, who once owned one of the farmhouses.”

Since the Navy is still in the consultation process, and a public comment period has yet to take place, a timeline for demolition has yet to be determined, Popp added.

“These farmhouses have served our Navy families for 73 years,” Popp said, “and NAS Whidbey Island takes pride in its history and wants to preserve those memories.”

Kathy Lunsford was emailed a copy of the letter written by Capt. Michael Nortier, commanding officer of NAS Whidbey, inviting her to comment on the attached memorandum of agreement.

She said she and her relatives were given up to 45 days to respond to the Navy’s plan. They also were given the option to relocate the house, a project relatives figures would be too costly.

Lunsford said she would have to give up her Christmas tree farm in Quilcene to do so, not realizing the irony of that statement.

Henry Riksen was among a group of Hollanders who arrived at San de Fuca on the steamer Fairhaven in 1895 and ultimately settled in the rich farmland at Clover Valley. In total, 18 Dutch families arrived that year and by 1897, about 200 resided on farms in the valley.

The family tree that sprung from Henry and Jane Riksen is extensive with several relatives still living on the island, Lunsford said.

“The Heller family is still there,” she said. “A Riksen daughter married a Heller. They had 10 children.”

Many farmers prospered in the Clover Valley, which was named for the endless fields of clover that farmers grew for their cows to eat.

As World War II was breaking and the Navy was looking for a new base for naval aircraft, that valley was found to be an ideal location for runways, prompting farmers to give up their land and livelihoods to make room for the base.

Riksen received $25,000 for his property. His was one of about 70 farms that were uprooted.

“It’s terrible,” said Karen Griffin, great-great niece to Henry Riksen. “It just makes me cry to think that there will be no reminders of what those farmers gave up. Good grief. They are keeping the barn that belonged to the Riksens. You would think that they could at least keep the house that belonged to them as a reminder of those farmers who slaved their lives away to make themselves a retirement and heritage that they could pass on. They had to give all that up.

“They did it out of honor for our land and being good citizens.”

“There’s never a good word about it. It makes me really sad.”

The Riksen descendents had hoped that the PBY-Naval Air Museum might find interest in the home or spacious round top barn to hold aircraft.

Wil Shellenberger, president of the PBY-Naval Air Foundation, said he appreciated that consideration but plans point toward a future site near a more visible, higher-traffic area near State Highway 20.

“I can understand why the Navy might decide to take them down,” said Rick Castellano, executive director of the Island County Historical Museum.

“But it’s really sad because that’s seven (eight) more places of our historic inventory here in Island County that will be gone forever.

“Every year, we see more and more. It’s disappointing.”