Barn Again: Saving and Restoring the Heart of the Farm
The National Barn Alliance and others offer ways to save treasured structures.
By Nancy Dorman-Hickson | Photos By Jamie Cole
Barns often meet a harsh fate.
The National Barn Alliance tries to connect people with preservationists in their area.
Rotting wood, infestation and exposure to the elements can lead to falling-down relics held together with a string and a prayer. That’s especially heartbreaking when the barn is an architectural or a sentimental treasure.
“Barns are the heart of the farm,” says Danae Peckler of the National Barn Alliance (NBA). “Maybe your grandfather built the barn, or you remember milking in it. There’s a growing interest because we’re losing them.”
The NBA offers an online do-it-yourself free manual, “Barn Repair & Rehabilitation Toolbox.” The web site also includes such information as how to qualify for state and federal tax credits toward historic preservation.
Peckler cites lack of funds as the No. 1 deterrent to restoration, which frequently requires expertise. “We try to connect people with preservationists in their area,” she says. Any effort “is better than watching a barn rot and collapse or have it sent to a landfill,” she adds. “Our mission is to educate people about historic barns and help people preserve these beautifully crafted structures.”
The all-volunteer organization includes farmers, barn contractors, architects, preservationists, timber framers “and other barn-loving citizens. At least half of our board members still own their family farms and historic barns,” Peckler says.
The organization holds ties with state and local preservation groups throughout the United States, as well as the Timber Framers Guild, whose members are “well versed in mortise and tenon construction,” says Peckler.
Peckler offers one final bit of advice for those seeking help: “If you see a good-looking old barn that has been recently repaired, stop and ask the owner, ‘Who did the work?’”
Web Exclusive: Barn Restoration Resources
National Barn Alliance: www.barnalliance.org The NBA’s Barn Repair & Rehabilitation Toolbox can be found at http://barnalliance.org/resources/old-barn-in-disrepair/
