Ghirardelli Barn

Part of my “Petaluma Landmarks” series, this scene captures one of the town’s most recognizable and enduring icons.

This image began as a photograph but was heavily altered in Photoshop to create a painterly effect — blending realism with a textured, timeless feel.

The barn, once a fixture along D Street, had just been relocated to McNears Landing when this photograph was made. In the distance, the historic silk mill — still in operation at the time — anchors the landscape with a living connection to Petaluma’s working past.

The weathered paint, the bold red roof, and the hand-painted Ghirardelli lettering stand as proud reminders of craftsmanship, endurance, and the quiet beauty of a town that has always honored its history.

“Ghirardelli Barn” is more than a landmark — it’s a piece of Petaluma’s spirit, preserved at a moment when past and present met under a wide California sky.

I am also displaying the original unaltered photograph for you to see what it looked like before I "photoshopped" it.