Historic Barns of Northwest Ohio, Pt. 2: Second Annual Barn Tour

Last year, our local historical society arranged for six barns to be open to the public for tours.  Hard to believe that a year has passed since then!  Hubby and I had so much fun touring the countryside and exploring the old farms that when another tour was announced for this year, we bought tickets right away.  This year, we headed to the eastern half of our county to tour six more barns.

It was a beautiful day again, just like last year.  The sun was shining, there was a great breeze (it actually got windier as the day progressed), and we got to see some great farms!

The first barn we went to was built in 1865, and is now a reception venue available to the public:

The owners of the barn fixed it up so that they could have their wedding reception here, and have since opened the barn for others to use, too!

Their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheWStarBarn

The Athen Ry band, they were really good! https://www.facebook.com/theathenry

 

 

The next barn was a working cattle farm that used to be a dairy farm:

Best friends, bovine-style.

I love the rhythm of the framing.  The ceiling is 55' tall.  It had a cathedral feeling to it!

1877 farm house.  The owner said that the walls were composed of a thickness of two bricks, then an air layer, then another two bricks.

Fall is coming!

One of the largest barns in the county--80' across this side, and 120' deep.

Great combine!  'Merica.

The third barn we visited was set up a little like a museum, with farming implements and artifacts displayed in the bays and on the walls:

Commode!  More comfy than an outhouse...?

I loved the texture of the wood floor with the antique nails.

While we were there, this group of historic cars drove up and parked.  Visitors were allowed to look in the cars and ask questions of the owners.  They were pretty neat!

The next barn was a quick tractor ride across the field, to the farm next door.  This barn housed a quilt display from the local quilting club:

Wasn't sure what this was...used for hauling something!

This next barn was made using a new type of construction, that was more stable than older barns.  It was also quite large, with additions through the years:

In comparing the framing of this barn to the others, there is definitely less wood used on the sides, yet is supposedly more sturdy and secure, not to mention cost-effective.

Original sign from the dairy operation

A great old planter.

I loved the hardware on the door--the stars are great!

 

The last barn that we visited was also the oldest, dating back to 1854.  It has a heavy German influence, and was the most decorative, with oval louvers.  The barn has been fixed up and is available for parties and receptions:

This little guy was resting after a hard day of greeting people at the barn door!

A great "chandelier" hanging from the rafters of the barn.

Not sure what the purpose of this stuffed bird was, but he was keeping a "birds-eye" view on the situation! 

The barn from the front--I love the deeper red color with the yellow, black and green accents.

 

 
I've always thought old barns were interesting.  As a city girl, I always thought the grass was greener on the other side of the fence--the side where cows mooed, goats baaahed, chickens clucked, and corn grew.  I always thought that it would be fun to live on a farm, but alas, we knew no one who owned a farm, so I was never able to experience farm life.  I think I would have enjoyed it, though.  In a way, touring these historic barns brings together so many things I enjoy: historic architecture, rural living, adorable animals, nice fall weather, and last but certainly not least, just spending time with my best friend.  I'm so glad that the Historical Society has arranged these tours over the last two years--we haven't been disappointed.  We're definitely looking forward to next year's tour!

Historic Barns of Northwest Ohio

Owning a farm is hard work.  There is always something to be done: animals to tend, crops to fertilize and harvest, buildings to repair, machinery to keep running, stalls to clean, et cetera, but at the end of the day, the farmer probably feels a sense of pride and accomplishment.  I don't speak from experience, sadly, but I hope that someday I will.  Here in Northwest Ohio, there are miles and miles of farmland when you drive in any direction out of town.  I love it.  It's my dream to move out to the rural areas and create a hobby farm.  But for now, we live in a little neighborhood in a small town.  It'll have to do.  However, when I found out that the Historical Museum was offering historic barn tours throughout the county, I was interested.

The Historical Museum had arranged to have six farms open to the public, with tour guides available at each stop to talk about the barns and answer questions.  We set out on the self-guided tour on a gorgeous early-fall day, with bright blue skies and crisp, fresh, cool air.  Just a great day to be out and enjoying the day.  The six barns on the tour ranged in date from 1850 to 1905, and each one had a unique in style and setting.  Here they are!

First barn on the tour--built in the 1880s.  They are still restoring this one.

I liked this composition.  I also liked that the box is for Fels-Naptha soap, a product still available today--I use it to make my laundry detergent.

Several seed bags were hanging on the walls.

This goat lived in a little barn next to the big barn.

The next barn, built in the 1850s.  This barn is also on the Quilt Block Tour that spans several states.

The interior.  All beams are hand-hewn, with the exception of the two by four rafter beams, which had been replaced due to a windstorm last summer.

Close-up of the hand-hewn support post.  See the chisel marks?

Two baby pigs--the farm is still a working pig producer.

This praying mantis was on a door frame.  It was huge--about the size of my hand!

The next barn, built in 1872.  The earthen ramp in this photo was moved a long time ago from the back of the barn.

Inside of the upper level of the barn, with the original siding and louvers showing.

Lower level--notice the chisel marks in the stone.

A neat old roller hinge.

The next barn, built in 1870.

The farmhouse, built in 1902.  What a great porch!

I loved the composition of this setting.  Someone has a great green thumb!

View from a door inside of the barn.  An antique plow is on the left.

This was my favorite farm to visit.  The barn was built in 1877.  Note the gingerbread scrolls along the top edge of the gable, and the decorative louver at the top--unusual for a barn to have so much decoration.

A unique feature of this barn: a forty-foot long continuous beam in the lower level.  Only one other barn on the tour had a longer beam.

Another unique feature--a self-filling watering trough for the animals from a natural spring on the property.  How nice is that?

The house was built almost twenty years before the current barn.  Now do you see why I love this farm so much?

Date of the house.  I love the gingerbread and details on this two-story porch.  The current owners spent 22 months restoring the house and barns, and they did a wonderful job.

The last barn on the tour, also the newest.  This one was built in 1905.

This barn has the longest one-piece beam at seventy feet long.

This sweet little kitten was curled up on a hay bale just inside the barn.  He didn't seem to mind all of the visitors.

Goliath the ram--he was huge, and he DID seem to mind all of the visitors.  We heard that he's not much of a people-ram.

A well-preserved two-person sleigh in the front yard.

A portable saw mill demonstration.  They had sheared off the first side, and were squaring up the rest of the sides.  It looked like the saw was cutting through butter, it was so smooth and quick.

We had a great time, not only because we were out exploring the countryside together, but also because we were learning new things about old barns.  It was a great way to spend a Saturday with the husband I love so much!