What Would You Do With an Old Barn?

When was the last time you saw a rotting barn? If you live in New England, chances are it wasn’t very long ago. Last September, I had the chance to step inside six unique barns in Harvard, Massachusetts. But none of them were rotting. In fact, they were all great examples of barns that have been preserved, reused, and repurposed over the years.

The Harvard Historical Society partnered with six owners throughout the town who were willing to open their barns to the public. Planned out well, the tour was self-led, with reenactors, local businesses and artists stationed at each barn. We received a map and an information booklet in the center of town, which directed us to the various barn locations. The day was sunny and warm, perfect for walking around outside from site to site.

Atherton Barn

The Atherton Barn was a beautiful barn and contained a lot of eclectic antiques. However, for some reason, I neglected to capture a photo of the barn’s exterior.

Most of the barn that stands today was built in 1792 to replace an earlier barn. The barn was first used by the Atherton Tavern and Inn as a carriage house. Later on, it switched hands to the Congregational Church, and became the parsonage for the town minister.

Its current owner totally rebuilt the right side of the barn, adding in heat and A/C. An incredible woven staircase leads to the second floor, complete with a “coffin corner” for carrying large items upstairs.

On the second floor is a vintage hang-out room, and a room used for the Underground Railroad! The barn houses many antiques and vintage memorabilia, including the Harvard Historical Society’s apple sorter.

For the event, Westward Orchards offered donuts and apples, and a wonderful ukulele band strummed outside.

Deacon Isaac Stone Barn

“Make sure you take a look at the toilet!” That was the advice we received upon arrival at this barn. As you may have guessed from his name, former barn owner Isaac Stone was a stonecutter. Built sometime in the mid- to late- 1700s, the barn has an English structure, mainly characterized by the large doors opening on the long side. Out of its four stories, we were only able to explore two.

The main floor split into several spaces that were partitioned off. One of these was the noteworthy “two holer” toilet. The current owner is proud of the curiosity, as he has restored it over the years.

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Through the duel openings, you have a view to the basement, and the gravestone that lies beneath (slightly sacrilegious? 😛 ). Cracked into multiple pieces, the headstone belongs to Jerome Farnsworth, who died at the age of nineteen years, nine months, and nine days. A replacement gravestone was probably made after this one cracked, and that is why this one was left in the basement.

The craftsman behind the engraving was likely Isaac Stone. Behind the barn, you can still see the foundation of Stone’s workshop. In fact, the workshop itself was still standing up until the 1950s. To commemorate the former owner’s trade, the event planners had a modern day stonecutter working in the yard. With his electric tools, he carved a piece of art over the course of the day for an auction that night.

The Great Elms Barn

This is a million dollar story – in more ways than one. Unique and expensive, the Great Elms Barn was completely disassembled from its original location and then reassembled piece by piece into its present form. And it’s huge!

For this barn, we had already had a backstory: the Harvard Historical Society had previously hosted a presentation by the owner detailing the laborious process of barn deconstruction and re-raising. Will Stevenson showed photos of the barn which had been left to deteriorate, and was now slated for demolition.

Determined to fulfill his dream of owning an old barn, Stevenson bought the barn. He and a team worked to meticulously disassemble the entire barn, labeling every piece as they went.

Once they had built a foundation on their own property, they transported the wood across town and began the process of rebuilding. To the original parts, they added a new roof and siding, along with a second cupola for ventilation. In all, the project took a full year.

Now friends and neighbors take advantage of the space in the winter to store any and every sort of recreational vehicle and equipment. The barn’s ample space can handle it all. But the darkened, vast beams, and multiple sets of coded numbering remind you that the barn has seen many other uses for a long time back.

The Turner Barn

The Turner Barn was built for cows. In 1849, Rebecca Turner recorded in her diary the dates of the barn construction and raising. She and her husband, Oliver, had purchased the farm the year prior. Their new barn reused some beams from a barn across the street, and was lined with cattle stalls.

In the photo’s bottom left, you can just see the lower-level entrance where the cows could enter the barn. Here, the stone steps are well-worn from all the traffic they received.

A benefit of the Turner’s location, for them and their cattle, was water. Underground springs flowed down Prospect Hill, where the Turners tapped into them, funneling water through the barn’s basement.

To the south, a spring house piped more water back to the house, where it was stored in copper vats and a cistern. The Turners had running water inside, and flushing toilets upstairs.

Inside, the barn was more divided than the others we saw that day, so the middle hallway was narrower. But in the separate sections, there was a woodworker, a maple sugarer, an artist, and a reenactor. So there was a lot to see, talk about, and taste. 🙂

The Sawyer Barn

I really liked how the Sawyer barn looked; its exterior was particularly picturesque, especially with its flourishing garden out back. Built in 1850, likely by Jabez Sawyer, the barn has three floors. Its unique main door has rollers on the bottom instead of the top, which was traditional.

Set on a small hill, a stone ramp – now covered in grass – leads up to the barn’s main doors. The basement lies open to the outside on the lower left side. Here, a staircase to nowhere was the barn’s claim to fame. Also back and to the right, a garden is planted, where a local beekeeper was stationed with his honey and herbs. A 1700s Sawyer farmhouse stands to its left.

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Like the Turner Barn, this barn had a narrower middle hall, bordered by partitions. However, it was the only barn to currently house a horse, Dexter, and his stall was apparent along one wall. Long logs made up the beams, along with two that were joined together with only a dovetail. Intricate metalworked pieces by Babacool Arts hung in the hallway, and a reenactor related stories from her childhood.

The Reedich Barn

The Reedich Barn was given as an impressive example of what a completely modern barn can look like, and the functions it can serve in a non-agrarian society. Originally intended to store recreational vehicles, upon completion the barn was deemed too nice for that purpose. So the family opted to add in a few more homey features to create a barn-style, luxury hang-out space and work area.

The top floor included a loft, tiny kitchen, and living room. Downstairs had more of a garage feeling, with its expansive doors and workshop. An atypical garage feature, however, was the large home-brewing set-up in the corner. Also, I thought it was pretty cool that there was a hidden driveway under the grass (no more sinking into the muddy grass I guess).

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The Harvard Barn-to-Barn Tour was great! Getting to see inside what would otherwise be private barns was special and interesting. The Harvard Historical Society did an excellent job involving the community in its production: gathering local artists, craftsmen, farmers, and businesses to decorate and advocate at each barn. It really felt like a community affair. The only thing that would complete the feeling of an inclusive community, would be a lower ticket price. That way, a better representation of the surrounding community can enjoy the tour. If they have it again next year, I hope you can go!

Harvard Historical Society

The Harvard Historical Society, located at 215 Still River Road, is committed to preserving Harvard’s past for Harvard’s future and to helping you discover your town through educational and cultural programming that connects to our history. We are a private, not-for-profit organization that relies on membership and donations to maintain our buildings and our collections…

For even more pictures, go to the Harvard Historical Society’s website.

Barn To Barn Tour Pics!

Thanks to the 260 tour-goers, 30 volunteers, 11 artisans, 11 food vendors, 14 performers and, 12 barn owners, the Barn To Barn Tour was a fantastic success. Here are a few pictures of the great day…