WA landmark 'Bellingham Rock' destroyed, blasted into 100 pieces

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - A beloved piece of Whatcom County history is effectively gone after what was promised as a relocation turned into a total demolition.

Landmark blasted into 100 pieces

What we know:

The "Bellingham Rock," a massive 100-ton boulder that served as a canvas for generations of locals, has been blasted apart into over 100 pieces.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) originally promised the rock would be moved to a new home in large fragments, but the final result had it looking more like rubble.

Keith Cook, who runs the Bellingham Rock Facebook page, visited the site Wednesday and described the scene as a "devastating bait and switch."

"We were there today with his contractor to try to see about putting it back together and it’s impossible," Cook said. "It’s not the rock anymore."

The rock was removed as part of WSDOT's Fish Passage Project, an effort to improve fish migration in the streams that pass under I-5, including Friday Creek, Lake Creek and Chuckanut Creeks.

The backstory:

For more than 50 years, people have visited the Bellingham Rock to paint it, mark it, and add to the landmark's local history. But that paint is now gone, as WSDOT said some of it contained lead and other dangerous chemicals.

For many, the rock was more than just a stone; it was a "beacon" that signaled they were nearly home.

"It’s like your big toe. I mean, that’s the big toe of Whatcom County," Cook said.

What we don't know:

It is unclear why the demolition resulted in so many more pieces than the "five or six" previously discussed during the planning phase.

"I think WSDOT had their own itinerary and agenda and they wasted a lot of people's time," Cook said. "Shame on you for having a community believe that this is what was going to happen, and then just to pull the carpet out from under us."

The remnants of the rock are expected to be moved from the active work zone in the coming days.

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