Monday, August 06, 2012

Many Lives of an Old Barn






After my first husband and I moved from the city to the small rural town where I still live, I continued to work in the city for several years.  My route to work had me driving past this old barn twice a day.  I seldom have a reason to go that way anymore but last month I had to make two trips into my old neighborhood a few days apart.  I snapped one set of these shots each trip.  This first set were actually taken on the second trip.   

This barn is on highway 100 between the towns of Pond and Gray Summit.  The above shot was taken going east into the city and the one below is the other side taken from the east on the return trip  


As you can see this barn sits in the middle of a sharp curve and only a few feet from the edge of the road.  I watched the changes in this old place over the course of forty odd years because my parents once lived a half mile down the road.  I even remember when it once got a fresh coat of paint, but you would never know that now.  







I almost missed taking both of these shots, as the cut off rooflines will attest, on my first trip into the city. Knowing I would be returning in a few days I swore to do better next time around.  

Just out of sight on the right is a large two story farm house that shares this property. It has had several owners over the years.  The original (to my knowledge) actually farmed the land, another fenced in the property and started raising livestock.  Over the years I have seen cows, pigs, donkeys, mules, sheep and even lama's.  Currently, there does not appear to be anything in the pens or fields but a ever growing collection of broken down salvaged machinery.  

Between this visit and the one above the grass had been mowed and the fence developed a decided lean.  The sign on this end of the building has gone through many changes as well.  For a couple decades it contained a huge sign that filled the entire space between the windows advertising Camp Fiddle Creek which has its entrance just down the road. Camp Fiddle Creek is a summer camp for girl scouts.  After a change of ownership a "Rent this space" sign went up for a short while and now I expect it goes to the highest bidder on a yearly rental.  Purina Farms is the research center for the animal feed division of the Ralston Purina Company.  

Linking to Barn Charm 





16 comments:

  1. This is one incredible barn...so large, and beautifully weathered. I know it has seen many lives.

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  2. Rita, I love old barns. Where I grew up in Ohio there were hundreds of them. I never took any pictures back then but now whenever I go home I try to get out and find them (much older now!) and snap a few pictures. This one of yours is a very cool memorial to another time.

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  3. Dan and I were trying to figure out exactly where you live. He knows Gray Summit...nice barn and very interesting story! By the way, his surgery got moved up to tomorrow - much better! WIll keep you posted.

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  4. Really nice! This one looks in pretty good condition. I hope it's still used.

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  5. Beautiful barn! It's certainly surrounded by the road.

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  6. I wonder which was first the road or the barn? Very nice, even if it doe appear to be leaning a bit with the fence!

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    1. Terri the barn was there long before the road. In fact I remember when the road was built. The new road went through the middle of several farms. One farmer found the traffic so heavy he could not cross over to his barn on the other side most of the day. Before long he sold out and his barn came down to build a subdivision.

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  7. great barns. so fun!! wish the road was not so close, but know we have to get around. ha. ha!! (:

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  8. That's a great looking place. It has so much character.

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  9. What a great place, full of character. That sure does look like one sharp curve!

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  10. This is a wonderful barn...I would love coming upon it in one of our rambling drives.

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  11. Old places carry a lot of stories.

    I hate seeing buildings torn down. When I lived in Savannah, GA they restored the whole downtown area. I miss that. Here in NE old buildings just get torn down and forgotten.

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  12. These are some beautiful barns!

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  13. It's such a terrible shame that it was a working farm for all those years & now sits still & no activity... that tells volumes about our economy right now! I mean this seriously, it's a crying shame to see all these barns & farms w/ no work, rotting where they sit & that's exactly what I'm praying will turn around... I've become more aware of the dire need for that very thing since I started Barn Charm & have seen just how many barns & farms are going without work... it's terribly sad & very scary...

    Thank you for sharing this gorgeous barn w/ us on Barn Charm... I hope it sees days full of hard work, hustle & bustle again, soon!

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  14. There really is just something about old abandoned barns that just inspires sadness -- and a wish to know the whole story. On that curve, iot looks like it might have been a little dangerous to snap those pictures!!

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    1. Sallie, I snapped these pics from the moving car but, the Old Salt was doing the driving.

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