Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Farewell to two barns

For the almost twenty five years I've lived here there has been a barn a couple of miles south,down the road. I know nothing of its beginnings, only the long, slow end. When we moved here my brother-in-law shot trap there, and took my nephew along to make some money pulling traps. The barn was in a township then. 

When the greedy city to the south annexed that township the trap club moved and the barn was idle for many years. It looked stately on its hill, but older and older. I learned it would be demolished for a senior living center, but not before a long remediation of the land, to remove lead and clay pigeon shards. The remediation stopped a year ago, and it struck me I'd better take pictures now, not later.


The greenery last summer did not disguise the old barn's condition.


I stopped again in the fall.


The greenery gone, it's condition was stark.




Red berries in the gravel construction drive.


This winter has been brutal; the view above taken today. The falling red shingles testify to the cold, windy grey day. It's not a black and white photo, just another black and white day. The prevailing winds have caved in the west end of the barn and taken most of the sides. I do hope the construction starts this year; this barn is too sad.

There is another small barn a mile or so east and I know nothing of its history. A bigger barn on the property is fallen and gone, but a smaller barn was used for years for horses.



Last fall I was taken by surprise. I pulled off and used my cell phone:


I have located and photographed several more barns. Now we've said goodbye to these two old fellows I can post pictures. More old barns, but many are in lovely repair.  



16 comments:

  1. How sad that they are in disrepair. They must have been magestic looking when first built!

    betty

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  2. It always makes me sad to see barns collapse like that. There are enough of them around here! And they don't make 'em liket they used to.

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  3. Wouldn't it be good if we all could keep our usefulness through the years? The years of the 'elderly' passing on knowledge are past.
    Wish it were not so.
    I can argue counter point, but can't convince myself.

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  4. Looks like nature is reclaiming the area the barn occupied. Your pictures reminded me of a documentary/movie/cable show (I don't recall the name or channel) that predicted how the world would change if all us humans took a long off the planet vacation. Plants take over quickly.

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  5. Joanne, I love barns and your photos are a joy! Very sad to see some barns in disrepair.

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  6. Oh, no! The old barn near Arnold's paddock is slowly collapsing and all I can do is photograph it whenever I have the opportunity. I began the photographs to record the beauty of the building. Alas, I now realise that I am recording the demise.

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  7. A sadness. Though mind you, I would like to have a fraction of the charm to the old barns - at a fraction of their age.

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  8. Such a slow, sad death. I'm glad you took those beautiful photos though. In years to come people will be glad to know the history of the area.

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  9. I wish I'd taken pictures of the barn where I spent a lot of my childhood. But if I close my eyes I can still see it... and smell the hayloft... and the silage as it's being put in the silo.... and even see the ferret that was kept in the milking room. But the barn is gone... and when my generation is gone as well, it probably won't be remembered at all.

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  10. It is sad to see these old barns slowly decaying and sinking back into the earth. Someone worked so hard to put them up and worked so hard in them.

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  11. A shame to see these buildings fall apart....it was a phenomenon in rural France too.

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  12. It is a complete change of the landscape. In a few generations they will know about these barns just through old pictures.

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  13. It is nice that you captured the small barn when it was completely standing. Recording the area's barns and location is important for the local historical society. For some reason many folks forget about the barns and outbuildings and what they added to a farm's heritage. I am always sad to see these hollowed places disappear from the landscape. Would be nice if someone recycled the barn wood. -- barbara

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  14. Bye-bye, barn. My dad used to stop and take wood from old barns. He used it to make beautifully rough picture frames for some of my mom's paintings.

    Love,
    Janie

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  15. When we moved out to the country, the agricultural field across the road had two olds structures, a barn and a storage shed I think. They were in worse condition than this one and completely covered with vines and growth. One day a while back I walked out and took pictures and checked them out. Did a post. The next week they were burned down by the farmer.

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