For years Tim has been using the old barn and its pastures under an arrangement with an elderly couple who live in the old farmhouse. The man passed away several years ago and his widow has remained in the farmhouse. A few weeks ago she sold the property to Tim.
The pin indicates the old farmhouse and the old barn is circled. (Go here to see a satellite tour of all the property.)
Tim is generously letting her stay there until she can no longer live alone, and then he plans to pull the house down.
Now that Tim owns the old barn, he is renovating it.
Two of the four stalls were full of junk. He's removed all of that and hauled it away.
He's taken down some of the old partitions between the four stalls.
Although this cobbled together wall, so like those that can be found in other very old barns, is still in place. (I'm kind of glad - I love the charm of an old barn!)
Using a Bobcat, Tim's removed several layers of footing and is redoing the foundation.
Years ago, someone put metal sheeting on the east side of the barn. I don't know if he will keep that or not.
The old barn has quite a history. Originally built on another farm, it was moved to its current site in the 1940s. Sometime after 1970, an addition to the old barn on the west side caught fire. The addition burned down, but firefighters were able save the original barn although it suffered some damage. (A blog post that shows the scorched parts of the old barn can be found here.)
The old barn is my favorite spot to visit Abby and the herd, and I can't wait to see it rejuvenated.
