This is a photo of our farm taken about 1900. The house and other structures are no longer there but the big barn still stands her ground. Family folklore says the western half of the barn was already built when great-great grandfather Henry bought the farm in 1863. There is an alley that runs perpendicular through the barn just short of the center point and it’s obvious that one side of that alley was once an exterior wall.
Just as a kitchen is the heart of a farm house this old barn is the heart and soul of the farm. Its beams are hand hewn and joined together with wooden pegs. It is supported by native sandstone piers in lieu of a full foundation. The classic barn siding on the west side has lost some of its battens so the afternoon sun streams into the hay loft in dramatic golden stripes making dust particles into sequins. For most of its existence it was home to cattle, horses, and mules in the stable. There was room to store grain to feed the animals as well as hay and straw for bedding in the loft. Maybe it’s my vivid imagination but every time I walk into that barn it’s like walking back in time with every one of my ancestors there in spirit, my dad and uncles in the lead.
This spring when our typically violent Midwestern thunderstorms started peeling up the tin on the south facing roof I knew it was time for the old girl to have some work done. I hired a local crew that specializes in barn roof replacements. They made a daunting task look easy. Here they are after having removed all of the old tin.
Just as a kitchen is the heart of a farm house this old barn is the heart and soul of the farm. Its beams are hand hewn and joined together with wooden pegs. It is supported by native sandstone piers in lieu of a full foundation. The classic barn siding on the west side has lost some of its battens so the afternoon sun streams into the hay loft in dramatic golden stripes making dust particles into sequins. For most of its existence it was home to cattle, horses, and mules in the stable. There was room to store grain to feed the animals as well as hay and straw for bedding in the loft. Maybe it’s my vivid imagination but every time I walk into that barn it’s like walking back in time with every one of my ancestors there in spirit, my dad and uncles in the lead.
This spring when our typically violent Midwestern thunderstorms started peeling up the tin on the south facing roof I knew it was time for the old girl to have some work done. I hired a local crew that specializes in barn roof replacements. They made a daunting task look easy. Here they are after having removed all of the old tin.
Now the old girl has a new roof on her south facing side and in her honor here is a recipe.
Tin Roof Sundae
Premium vanilla ice cream
Hot fudge sauce, warmed
Salted Spanish peanuts
You know what to do.
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