The Charm of Kelley Farm

The Kelley Farm in Bonney Lake has been a historical icon since 1864 when William Barton Kelley first claimed the land. If you are new to the area or coming for a visit, this 200-acre property is worth seeing in order to appreciate the pride of ownership taken by its current owners, the Corliss family.

Having lived in Bonney Lake for just three years, I admire the property’s beauty and sense of peacefulness it eludes when I drive by although it sits so closely to the hustle and bustle of shopping centers and SR-410.

So how has Kelley Farm remained in tact while decades of development have surrounded it? The answer to that question was a thorn in the Corliss family’s sides for many years until an accidental chain reaction started.

The Corliss family purchased the property in 2001 which had a preliminary 12-lot plat approval already in place, but they thought that type of development would be an injustice to the farm. When the family voiced intentions of making the property a golf course/resort area while preserving a piece of history and showcasing the Bonney Lake area with a more notable community, the Corliss family underwent tremendous scrutiny and resistance. Local residents balked at that type of development, so the concept was shut down and Kelley Farm remained under utilized until one day in 2007...

Scott Corliss was asked by his son and fiancé about using the rickety old barn for their wedding reception. Scott agreed not thinking much about it until the owner of AA Party Rentals came on-site as a vendor for the wedding. Months later, AA’s owner contacted Scott and asked if he could use the rickety old barn for his daughter’s wedding. As a personal favor, Scott agreed, but then the owner of Gallucci’s Catering was on-site for that wedding and told Scott he needed to do something about making Kelley Farm a place for hosting events, especially weddings.

After careful consideration, Scott took the suggestion to heart and began major renovations to the barn in 2010. (History Tidbit: William Barton Kelley’s eldest son, John Ezra Kelley, built the farm’s house and gave it to his wife as a wedding gift in 1907.)

“There was no master plan of what the barn would look like in its completion,” says Scott Corliss. “I just became inspired and started getting a vision of what I wanted after looking at other barns. We wanted to preserve the integrity and history of the farm by using resources from the land, the rocks for the fireplace, the fallen trees for the post and beam work, in the renovation of the barn.  The rest eventually fell into place,” he stated.

For example, keeping the original roof was important to Scott in order for it to be seen from the inside, so a new exterior roof was built above it. In order to handle the new roof’s pitch, the sides of the barn were expanded creating 4,900 square foot of entertaining space. The barn’s exterior wood was repurposed to be the interior walls, and wood from another barn on 214th Avenue was salvaged to make two bars and a wall partition. The barn’s interior space can accommodate 300 guests comfortably, plus the back wall opens up by swinging doors onto a spacious brick patio/courtyard which overlooks the pasture and fields below.

The small green house, now called the Bridal Cottage, is available for getting ready making Kelley Farm the ideal wedding experience. (Current Tidbit: Brides-to-be can attend an invitation-only WEDDING GIVE AWAY OPEN HOUSE on February 12th by contacting Sloan Clack via Facebook.

In addition, Kelley Farm can be used for a plethora of events including birthdays, reunions, car shows, concerts and public spectacles, such as the Renaissance Faire. This September, Warrior Dash is coming to Bonney Lake which is a 2-day action-packed obstacle and running event supporting St. Jude.

As a resident, I am thrilled to see this piece of history has been tastefully preserved by the Corliss family, and their accidental chain reaction has given Kelley Farm new meaning and Bonney Lake a positive connotation for years to come.

For more information on Kelley Farm, check out their newly launched website.

If you love history and want to learn even more, check out .