I took a page from John's book and turned up the driveway and introduced myself to the owners. John likes to talk to the locals and his blog has lots of colorful characters he runs into during his travels. The barn owners own an antique business in the area and were willing to share a few details about the property and let me wander a teeny bit for a closer look. The barn is German made like many in this region and they weren't sure when it was built, but the house dates back to the 1850's I believe they said. They've done a wonderful job restoring that, but I didn't take any pics to respect their privacy.
We talked about local and statewide architecture a bit, and it was fun to chat with someone who shares your enthusiasm for history. Restoration for the barn would be extensive and expensive and they have no current plans to tackle the job. The owner expressed his feelings that this is a shame, but unfortunately you can't save them all. The stone foundation on this barn is like the leaning tower of Pisa these days.
Can you believe how thick those walls are? The animals were probably pretty comfy during the long cold winters in Wisconsin. Tomorrow I leave for my next camping trip, but I'll try to remember to post about the East Troy Electric Railroad before I go.
Wow - what a cool barn! How neat that the owners let you explore and photograph it. Too bad they can't afford to restore it.
ReplyDeleteIn the UK they would cnage the use and restore the barn in to houseing. Looks very neat though.
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