This New Barn

Pictures of the new barn. Enjoy!

Progress!

 

The windows are in, and the doors are on!    This is the view from the pasture.   In a few weeks, this is where our alpacas will reside.  

I have a feeling the view will be lost on them....

Barn Boards

I almost forgot - we have lots of barn boards lying around now.    They are extra pieces that are being taken off in the renovation.  Send us an e-mail if you're interested in them.  Some of them would make nice picture frames or furniture.

Pictures of our old barn

Our old barn at sunset, a few years ago.

Here's the south side.   You can see some of loose boards, as well as the covered windows on the bottom.  Now, all of the bottom windows have been replaced, and there are 5 windows upstairs on this side.   It's an incredible view.

Dave's Construction from Baraboo is doing the work.   We are incredibly lucky to have found him - everyone else told us to tear the barn down and put up a pole building.   Dave specializes in restoring old ag buildings, like our barn.   I really think he's almost as excited about this as we are.

This Old Barn

We're having our barn renovated.   When it's done, it will have a new steel roof, sides and doors.  We're also putting in 12 windows in the upstairs hayloft, and replacing the windows on the lower floor.   

I have lived at this place for 12 years, and bought it 5 years ago.   When I bought it, I hated that barn - it was a waste of space, and it ruined a perfectly good view.   The only money I thought I'd ever spend on it was picking up it's pieces after it caved in.   

If all else fails on our little enterprise, I will never regret saving the barn.   It was actually in fairly good condition for its age (built in 1917, you do the math).  Our builder can't believe how straight and level everything is.   Plus, now that we're using it for livestock, I am beginning to appreciate all the pens, hooks, storage spaces, and holes in the floor (for throwing down hay bales).   My husband is also going to use half of the hayloft for his studio (he's an artist / illustrator), so he'll have the beautiful old timbers, lots of natural light, and a huge open space.   

It's funny how wrong first impressions can be....