A discussion about free wood led to some conversation about barn lumber. We have an old barn that came with this place, and I thought I’d share some of our efforts to keep it standing. This is not a majestic old barn built by a well-to-do country gentleman. This was built by a poor depression-era farmer out of whatever he could cobble together. Despite our efforts to keep it standing, we often have people stop by to “offer” to tear it down for us if we let them have the lumber. Still, we are lucky: we know of people in the area who have had boards stolen off the sides of their old barns.
I wish I had “before” photos, but I always forget to grab the camera until I’m well into a project. First, a shed section that was entirely unsalvagable was torn off. Then a wall that had slid/sagged/slumped 18 inches or more was lifted and repositioned with Hi-Lift jacks. The lowest horizontal board you can see in this picture was on the ground when we started.
And here’s a look at the same wall from the end:
The red circles indicate how far the wall had to be lifted and moved – with the full weight of that section of roof resting on the wall. The vertical 2x at the near end of the wall was installed as temporary support for that end of the wall and the roof.
Inside the barn, holes were dug into the dirt floors (not just dirt – this was the milking shed, you know!) and filled with compacted sand/gravel. Post blocks were set on the compacted area and then filled around with more compacted sand/gravel. An interior support framework was built from pressure treated and construction lumber.
Next, the opening was framed with 2x and sided with excess barn lumber that was gathered from nearby.
Maybe it’s not much to look at, but at least we kept it from toppling over. 
As you can see, there is still some lumber waiting to be re-purposed!
It seems like our society treats everything as disposable. And who knows, one day someone may tear this barn down for birdhouses and picture frames. But we felt like this little bit of history was entrusted to us and it seemed important to hold on to it for a little while longer. And it still keeps the rain out!
-- Coffee is best with a fine layer of sawdust on top. -- http://www.north40custom.com
10 comments so far
John Gray
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698 posts in 372 days
posted 331 days ago
You are doing a great service by actually saving a barn!!!!!! I live in Central Illinois and there have been so many barns, corn cribs and silos demolished or left to rot that there are a small number left compared to what were when I grew up in the 1950’s. The great thing here is the formation of barn preservation groups that save and restore or at least stabilize what ones are left. I lived on a place, farm, that was a show place in the early 1900’s with 23 buildings all the live stock building had water supplied by gravity from a central water tank that was filled by a windmill…....all of it is gone now bull dozed and burned by a banker with no purposed but to gain the the grain production from those couple of acres that the buildings once stool on. What a shame!
Keep up the good work.
-- Only the Shadow knows....................
dennis mitchell
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2945 posts in 801 days
posted 331 days ago
My dad tells me about buying the pine for our farm in the early 80’s for about 20 cents a board foot. Some of those old board plane up real nice.
-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com
Thos. Angle
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3236 posts in 449 days
posted 331 days ago
I miss having a good barn. We had one at Union in which I built stalls for three teams of draft horses. I went by it the other day and the new owners are letting it go to pot.
-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon
cajunpen
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5348 posts in 552 days
posted 331 days ago
Good for you Peter. I think that saving the old pieces of Americana are very important. If we don’t all contribute in whatever way we can – we will eventually loose our ability to show the newer generations how we got to where we are today. Thanks for sharing your story.
-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/
GuyK
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37 posts in 566 days
posted 331 days ago
Peter, THANK YOU. Great job in saving the barn. As you can tell by my picture they are a important part of my life. If you go to this web site, you will see what a large group of dedicated people are trying to save through a non-profit group.
www.thelandsathillsidefarms.org
Again, Thank you
-- Guy Kroll
RobS
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1107 posts in 793 days
posted 317 days ago
Nice save peter.. Makes me wish I had a barn to save. Thanks for sharing.
-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX
Sawdust2
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848 posts in 574 days
posted 316 days ago
Is this just a barn for preservation’s sake or are you going to use it as camouflage for an ultra modern shop.?
If you run a 220 line in and cover it up with the old stuff no one will ever guess. ;>)
My guess is that sawdust would be more appreciated to heirs than what was left over from a milking barn.
I’m one of those who would have offered to take the wood off your hands for my labor in taking it down.
You are one of those who keep my world from being gray.
Thanks.
-- No piece is cut too short. It was meant for a smaller project.
Peter O
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633 posts in 361 days
posted 316 days ago
Glad you all enjoyed this post – I hesitated before deciding to put it up here. This is my wood storage barn now – the roof keeps the rain off, but the holes in the wall provide for good air circulation! The new, ultra-modern shop was built nearby this past spring. Actually, ultra-modern might be a stretch. It’s more like semi-modern.
-- Coffee is best with a fine layer of sawdust on top. -- http://www.north40custom.com
Karson
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12911 posts in 887 days
posted 295 days ago
Great job Peter. I’m sorry I didn’t see this post a while back. I got here for your series and meeting Tom. You are to be congratulated on trying to keep the barn intact and helping it stand upright and proud.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com
miles125
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920 posts in 492 days
posted 295 days ago
Nice old barn. They are somehow more than the sum of boards that make them up.
Reminds me of an old barn at my uncle Alvins near Cottonwood Alabama is used to visit as a kid. Heres a pic a relative recently sent me that brought back memories.
He gave me my first Daisy BB gun! And i learned my first lesson in Karma, as i attempted to use his electric fence as a rest while i shot holes in his washtub. The fence got me and my uncle Alvin got me! lol
-- miles125, Alabama.."Architecture is frozen music""