Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Amish Barn Charm Version 2.0


Amish farmers near Kalona, Iowa looked to replace a family's barn in the 1990s. When my in-laws were selling their farm properties near Cedar Rapids, Iowa a deal was struck. The Amish would hire a driver, vans and wagons, come some 40 miles north, tear down the barn and reassemble it a few miles northeast of Kalona. The tear down phase took just a few days and involved a small army of Amish men. They drew a schematic of the barn, labeled everything (in pencil) including the oak pegs that held wooden beams together. Today the barn (center in photo,) originally built in 1916 by a relative, sits on a rise overlooking corn and hay fields. The new owners who have had the barn now for around 15 years have improved the structure by adding a new roof and updating some of the side walls. Hundred year old barns don't always come on the market. In fact the Amish are currently building a new barn just right of the photo on a neighbor's property.







9 comments:

  1. Amazing that they took it down and moved it. I would have loved to see that.

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  2. wow, what an effort that must have taken. those amish are amazing!

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  3. Wow it took them days to put down a huge barn. They are really a good worker and marking it one by one is a task too. Love these shot thanks for sharing.


    Kim,USA

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  4. What an amazing story! It looks as if it has been there forever. Glad the barn was saved!

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  5. Wonderful story! Looks like that barn has settled into its new home quite nicely.

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  6. How interesting! I'm so glad to hear this story. Our throw-away-and-get-new world should take this to heart.

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  7. What an amazing story! What a job it must have been to move it!

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  8. I love that the building was dismantled and moved. It still happens, but not nearly as much as in the days gone by.

    I also love how the Amish come together for communtiy events like barn raisings and other such things (as pioneers often did). That would be a lovely way to live, neighbor helping neighbor. Great shot of the buildings. :-)

    Noteworthy Musings - Barn Charm #94

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  9. It's great to hear that some old barns are still being saved by taking them down and moving them. It looks like it has always been there.

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