The owners of the Distinctive Owl Mailbox are Jim Hermanson and his lovely wife (who wanted
to remain anonymous). Luckily for me Jim is a real talker! A lifelong Pacific Northwesterner with
a laid-back demeanor and a quirky sense of humor Jim was a joy to speak with. Born in Tacoma
he said, “I’ve lived all my life (except for about a year) within 45 miles of where I’m standing!”
We are standing adjacent to what I believe is a workshop or gardening shed on his property on
Battle Point Road.

Jim relayed a slice of family history – his paternal grandparents lived on Bainbridge Island from
about 1949-1964 in two different locations. The first spot was an eleven-acre parcel of land
with 300 feet of zero bank waterfront. Jim tells me “It’s the second place just south of Fay
Bainbridge, that was a nice chunk of land!” The second location was on the north end on
Madison where his grandfather developed Viewcrest and built (and lived in) the first house on
the left as you enter. Jim says, “it’s been remodeled or rather, remuddled”.

Jim reminisces that while visiting his grandparents at their first property, he spent loads of time
at the Snack Shack at Fay Bainbridge (the Snack Shack is no longer there). He also mentions,
“My grandmother ran the rummage sales at The Grange (Bainbridge Grange Hall) but I haven’t
been inside The Grange for about 60 years!” While listening to Jim talk, I feel transported back
in time and find myself wishing for a photo of the Snack Shack (does anyone have one?!) or that
I might time travel back and experience what a rummage sale in the 1950’s might look like.

But alas, I’m here to learn about the Distinctive Owl Mailbox and to that end Jim says his wife
wanted “something with an owl”, which is an animal she “adores”. They also have an owl who
occasionally visits their property. The owl carving was created by George Kenny’s Chainsaw
Carving in Allyn, WA on the Olympic Peninsula. Jim says the person who worked on their
mailbox was a Washington State chainsaw carving champion. His wife collaborated with the
artist to create the mailbox sculpture ensuring it was both beautiful and within regulation. The
owl stands about four feet tall and it’s right wing protectively covers the box portion. It’s
beautiful.

Jim is a photographer and considers himself creative and he is! He spent time showing me
several of his photographs and sharing some cool ideas for public art on the island which as I
am a board member of Arts & Humanities and the Public Art Committee, he told me to “run
with” and you know what, I think I will!

Denise Stoughton is currently writing a gift book highlighting the curiously creative mailboxes of Bainbridge Island and the stories behind them. Traversing the island in her white VW Beetle in search of the island’s most interesting mailboxes, she’s become known as “The Mailbox Lady” and has even been mistaken for a mail thief. Arbiter of all things postal, when she learned of the famous Kindred Spirit Mailbox of Bird Island, NC she enlisted the help of the Bainbridge Island Park and Recreation District to install a Kindred Spirit Mailbox in upper Fort Ward Park. Stoughton says her quirky mailbox obsession has brought her closer to the community and is “crazy fun”. Follow her journey on Instagram and Facebook and to purchase mailbox related gift items visit https://www.uniquelybainbridge.com/shop.