Barn Reconstruction
Carriage Hill MetroPark Farm, Dayton, Ohio
September 11-16, 2006
All able-bodied Guild members are invited to a hand raising Sept. 16 in Dayton, Ohio, following a workshop on barn repair at Carriage Hill MetroPark Farm.
In the fall of 2005, Five Rivers MetroParks in southwestern Ohio was given
a 36'x48' early 19th century bank barn that was about to be demolished for commercial development. The barn was documented, dismantled, and stored by
Christian & Son, Inc.
MetroParks wants to modify the barn to serve as part of the interpretive program at
Carriage Hill Farm, one of the parks in the MetroParks system. At Carriage Hill Farm, visitors can learn about farm life in the 1880s, with demonstrations,
reconstructed and historical buildings, and farm animals that are
representative of breeds found in the 1880s. The
farm’s Poland China hogs, for example, were developed in Ohio's
Miami Valley and were valued for their fat, weighing in at about 700 to 800
pounds when full grown.
The barn will be reconstructed on the site next to the historic farmhouse and will replace the barn that was built there and lost before the farm became part
of the park system. The barn will be the main focus in a workshop to teach barn repair.
The barn was originally built as a bank barn on land that is now a parking lot. Its new use will be as a ground barn in the living history farm setting at Carriage Hill. During the workshop, which will be held in an open pasture adjacent to the farm, repairs will be made to one damaged post and some siding girts. We will also modify the posts to fit the new sill timbers we will cut. Materials are also being prepared for the fabrication of replacement barn doors, which we will cut using historic mortise and tenon rail and brace framing.
The week will end with a horse-assisted hand raising on Saturday, Sept. 16. All able-bodied Guild members are invited to help with the raising. A celebratory meal will be provided.
Instructors
The instructors for the workshop will include the Christian family -— Rudy, Laura and Carson —- who will be joined by three other Ohio timber framers: Gary Clower, Brian Beals and Dane Gustafson, all graduates of previous Guild workshops.
Workshop participants will have the option of camping at Carriage Hill at no charge or staying at one of the numerous local hotels or bed-and-breaksfasts to be found in the Dayton area. The fact that the workshop is in a public park, combined with the great variety of Ohio attractions including the U.S. Air Force Museum, makes the Carriage Hill workshop a great venue for families.
Registration information is available here or from the Guild office (413/623-9926). See you there!
—- Rudy Christian
About MetroParks
The mission of Five Rivers MetroParks is the protection and stewardship of the Miami Valley’s natural and cultural heritage. Established in 1963, MetroParks has grown to a park system of about 12,700 acres composed of natural area parks,
gardens, sensitive river corridors, urban parks, and a network of recreation trails. Most of the Five Rivers MetroParks facilities are located in Montgomery
County, Ohio or within close proximity. Educational
programs and recreational opportunities are
offered year-round for all ages.
For more information about Five Rivers Metro Parks, visit their website at www.metroparks.org.
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