Group Tries To Save Historic Kansas Barn
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If you've got a historical landmark you'd like to save in your area, you may be interested in the way a group of farmers and townspeople in Rooks County, Kan., have gone about launching a campaign to save one of the biggest barns in the Midwest.
The big barn, which is 100 ft. long, 64 ft. wide and 54 ft. high, was built in 1912 by William Thomas on his farm between Woodston and Alton. It's a masterpiece of engineering with an unobstructed haymow large enough to hold a university-size basketball court. Construction required 120,000 board feet of lumber, 7,000 lbs. of nails, 1,200 lbs. of bolts, and 115,000 cedar shingles. It was designed to hold 54 horses, 50 head of cattle, and 500 tons of loose hay.
Thomas, who farmed 1,800 acres of wheat with horses, bought his first tractor in 1917 and then gradually phased out, horses, making the barn obsolete. It has been virtu-ally abandoned since Thomas' death in 1926.
Two years ago local minister Richard Taylor launched a campaign to restore the local landmark. "To stand in the haymow and see the long row of identical giant trusses supporting the sidewalls and roof is truly awe-inspiring," he says. "With new roofing, paint and other repairs, it appears the barn would stand forever."
Together with local fanners and towns-people, and with the cooperation of Thomas' son who donated the barn and 15 acres to the group, Taylor set up a non-profit corporation to raise money to repair and maintain the barn. The group plans to create a museum of horse-drawn equipment and a center for square dancing, art shows, and theatrical productions.
So far the group has raised $35,000, which has been used to start repairs. To give an idea of the immense expenses involved, roofing the barn alone (with cedar shingles) cost over $20,000. A local contractor has started work on the foundation and inmates from a nearby prison have been brought in to clean up the grounds. The original cupolas, which were blown off the the top of the barn years ago, will have to be restored.
People who contribute $50 or more will have their names on permanent display inside the big barn and each contributor will be sent a portion of one of the 1912 wood shingles from the barn or a scale model of the barn, designed by a professor at Wichita State University. Because the group incorporated with non-profit status, all contributions are tax-deductible. And because it's a historical museum, the corporation is also exempt from paying sales taxes on materials purchased for the project.
"We hope to become the barn dance capital of Kansas so we're encouraging square dance clubs to contribute along with anyone else who wants to preserve this reminder of what this country was like at the turn of the century," says D. Lee Hull, Woodston, Kan., vice-president of the board of directors of Classic Big Barn, Inc. The group also raises money by selling post-cards, notecards, posters, caps, plaques, and T-shirts. Visitors are welcome at any time to view the barn.
To contribute, or for more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Big Barn, Inc., Box 2, Woodston, Kan. 67675.
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Group tries to save historic Kansas barn AG WORLD Ag World 15-5-20 If you've got a historical landmark you'd like to save in your area, you may be interested in the way a group of farmers and townspeople in Rooks County, Kan., have gone about launching a campaign to save one of the biggest barns in the Midwest.
The big barn, which is 100 ft. long, 64 ft. wide and 54 ft. high, was built in 1912 by William Thomas on his farm between Woodston and Alton. It's a masterpiece of engineering with an unobstructed haymow large enough to hold a university-size basketball court. Construction required 120,000 board feet of lumber, 7,000 lbs. of nails, 1,200 lbs. of bolts, and 115,000 cedar shingles. It was designed to hold 54 horses, 50 head of cattle, and 500 tons of loose hay.
Thomas, who farmed 1,800 acres of wheat with horses, bought his first tractor in 1917 and then gradually phased out, horses, making the barn obsolete. It has been virtu-ally abandoned since Thomas' death in 1926.
Two years ago local minister Richard Taylor launched a campaign to restore the local landmark. "To stand in the haymow and see the long row of identical giant trusses supporting the sidewalls and roof is truly awe-inspiring," he says. "With new roofing, paint and other repairs, it appears the barn would stand forever."
Together with local fanners and towns-people, and with the cooperation of Thomas' son who donated the barn and 15 acres to the group, Taylor set up a non-profit corporation to raise money to repair and maintain the barn. The group plans to create a museum of horse-drawn equipment and a center for square dancing, art shows, and theatrical productions.
So far the group has raised $35,000, which has been used to start repairs. To give an idea of the immense expenses involved, roofing the barn alone (with cedar shingles) cost over $20,000. A local contractor has started work on the foundation and inmates from a nearby prison have been brought in to clean up the grounds. The original cupolas, which were blown off the the top of the barn years ago, will have to be restored.
People who contribute $50 or more will have their names on permanent display inside the big barn and each contributor will be sent a portion of one of the 1912 wood shingles from the barn or a scale model of the barn, designed by a professor at Wichita State University. Because the group incorporated with non-profit status, all contributions are tax-deductible. And because it's a historical museum, the corporation is also exempt from paying sales taxes on materials purchased for the project.
"We hope to become the barn dance capital of Kansas so we're encouraging square dance clubs to contribute along with anyone else who wants to preserve this reminder of what this country was like at the turn of the century," says D. Lee Hull, Woodston, Kan., vice-president of the board of directors of Classic Big Barn, Inc. The group also raises money by selling post-cards, notecards, posters, caps, plaques, and T-shirts. Visitors are welcome at any time to view the barn.
To contribute, or for more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Big Barn, Inc., Box 2, Woodston, Kan. 67675.
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