I'm no barn expert, but I googled "we buy old barns" and noticed some really interesting links. Might give you some food for thought on what other's have done. By the way, how old is your barn?

http://www.google.com/search hl=en&q=we+buy+old+barns&btnG=Google+Search

www.thebarnjournal.org.

Oh...it hurts my heart to hear of another old barn biting the dust!

We just resided, new roof, new cupolas w/finials, new doors and new windows for our big barn. Torn down our little barn and built another, 2-story with office space, in it's place.

Our barns looks fabulous. Course the house is a piece of junk but I love my barns. There is a reason for doing the barns before the house, but it's a long story.

We just got a note in mail about our barn.Its one of the oldsest in our county.wetre on a map of historical places from historical society.Theyre doing a survey they want people to keep[ thier barns.
when we moved here our post & beam barn had a part on roof ready to collapse.My hubby repaired it so snow wouldnmt take it down.do you have to do it all at one time.Do so much at a time.Were done with ours built 1700s.
My hubby is a contractor,he was building a developement years ago ,he put ad in paper for the barn.That was on property.Someone bought it tore everything down hauled it away.It was a huge barn.The guy wanted hinges,windows,vents,cupolas anything he could reuse.

Our barn was built around WWI, according to a barn restorer. This used to be a dairy farm, and garage doors were put on the front of the barn, so actually it will cost even more to replace those, plus replace the damaged loft. I've agonized over this decision, but it's getting to be a financial monkey on our backs. Unfortunately, not everyone cared for their old structures as they should (as everyone here has seen!) and many times it's hard to get financing to save old houses and barns. It's sad that some of the new, quickly thrown up cookie cutter houses have more value in a bank's eyes, but I guess I see their point.

Before we actually decide to pull the barn down, I may look into having the back side of the roof redone with asphalt shingles. The front is done in green shingles, not attractive, but in good shape. My BIL worked as a roofer, so maybe we can persuade him to take a look. Later we can consider replacing the whole thing with metal.

There are "Save Our Barns" organizations across the US. And if I am not mistaken there is a national organization that will issue grants and low interest loans for barns over 100 years old.

My neighbor to the south has the coolest 4-story European Stock Barn complete with full basement, that he just put a new roof on with funds from some organization. He put a metal roof on the barn and there is no way he could ever have afforded a metal roof without some kind of grant money.

Any ways back to the barn...

This barn has all kinds of pulley systems to lower and raise the narrow stairways, there must be 8-10 stairways like this. We live abt 35-40 miles from Chicago and on a clear day if I go up in the neighbor's loft I can see the Sear's Tower!

We've lost 2 barns in my immediate area in just the last year or so. One of the barns was huge and there could have been 2 pro basketball games going on in the main level with no problem and this barn was in excellent condition. Developer bought the farm and was supposed to keep the barn and sell it with the 5-acre lot (we have minimum 5 acre zoning). But 1 day the barn was gone and it made me feel so sad. It was in such good condition too, not even 1 broken window.

I know barns can be expensive to keep up as we spent close to $170K just with our 2 barns last year. But we are losing so many barns, please anyone reconsider keeping your barns. You can rent out the storage space, even if the roof is leaking, the space is still worth money. My contractor and all the subs drool every time they see my barns and remark how much they pay for storage. Two of my neighbors rent out storage space in their barns for boats and motor homes. And another rents his barn space to a Landscaping company to store their trucks and other equipment.

My GC was considering buying my neighbor's lot, not to build a spec house, but just for the barn. He said it would be well worth the money just for the storage fees he pays. My Neighbor is not interested in selling at this point...darn!

When I redo "phase II" of my house project in 5 years, I intend to buy an old barn, about 20x30 and restore it. It will be my entry and living room with a loft area to connect the bedrooms in the existing house with two bedrooms to be built over the "phase II" garage/barn. Interestingly, My intention is to to use P&B barn for the house, and stick build a barn reproduction for the 3 car garage with two beds and private baths above. Of course, the money will have to hold out to complete this project!

There are companies out there that buy, restore and rebuild old barns.

I'd try to save it if I could, but then I'm used to barn issues because I have six two-story, early to mid 19th-century barns here and I'm used to their issues. It's really a pity to take one down when it doesn't have come down. The good thing about barns is they can usually be gotten back into shape by slow piecemeal projects. And all the issues that go with fixing up a house that are purely (and expensively) decorative don't apply.

Sometimes simple things like patching a roof, getting the window glass and frames attended to and installing guttering can interrupt a downward maintenance spiral and buy you some time. These things are not expensive.

Losing a barn will change the feel of your property. And saving one is very satisfying, not to mention they are very useful things to have on the place. Are you getting pressure from your insurance company, bank or building/code inspector?

Molly~

Wianno; When we were looking for our current property I knew I wanted a barn. So if the property did not have a barn then we would build one. I wanted to build a barn that looked old and did research into old barns styles...it was fascinating and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was surprised to find out how important and popular some barn architects were!

housekeeping; We are correct in saying that loosing the barn will change the feel of your property. No matter what we do to our house "Papa Barn" is the main attraction on our property and that is exactly how I wanted my barn to be.

I have to brag a bit and show off my big barn. I am just so happy with how the remodel went.

That is a beautiful barn! Ours is nothing like it or there'd be no question as to whether we keep it or not.

"Are you getting pressure from your insurance company, bank or building/code inspector?"

Yep, and the finances HAVE to go to getting the house finished first.

Believe me, I've researched barn organizations to death, and we did apply for the grant offered by NY State, but I'm sure a lot of people with worthy barns applied for grants. We'll hope for the best.

Thanks blackcat333! But my barn is not old, built in 1980, although the over all construction was solid, the exterior was not in good condition. The cedar siding was peeling and warping all over the place, woodpeckers had done a number on the soffits, several leaks in the roof, windows had so much crud on them that they would not close, cupolas were way too small for the barn and the doors were all hanging by a hinge. Both barns and the house were shades of beige, real original PO, so they all blended into one big, ugly building.

Good luck with your barn! I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

Blackcat,

I'm in NY too (upstate, near VT border), but despair of getting one of those scarce grants. (One - 20K, I think -was awarded in my town; it wasn't really enough to do the trick when they finally started the work. I'm not sure what's going to happen as they haven't been able to get very far along) Is your barn visible from the street? Mine are not, so they were automatically out of contention, alas!

Anyway, rest assured my collection of barns look nowhere near as nice as msafirstein's handsome one, but then they were built in *1880* (the youngest one!)

Do not dismiss your barn even if it looks much more *au naturel*, like all of mine.

You replied to my broad question whether you were getting pressure from insurance/bank/code enforcement, with yes. All three, or just one? Placating each one of those would take a different strategy.

What exactly are the problems, if you don't mind discussing them here? Perhaps we can come up with some inexpensive holding actions to arrest the downfall, and make enough improvement to buy you some time.

Molly~

Molly; Please post some pictures of your barns. I would love to see them.

While visiting OH this past Summer I took several pictures of old barns with "Mail Pouch Tobacco" advertisments. I think I am going to paint one on the West side of the big barn. And I am also going to paint a series of Burma Shave Signs and place them running down our south boundry, although this is not along a road, it can be seen from the road.

Our barn has a simple peaked roof. Originally, the roof was all metal, but the front side was replaced with the green asphalt and the back stayed the metal. When we purchased the house the metal roofing was already half gone and the weather had caused the loft to rot and collapse. Also the foundations have moved and pushed the barn walls outward. The main issue is the roof, though.

Luckily, we are on a main road so that may be in our favor as far as grant money goes. Not in our favor is the fact that our barn is not of any real historical value and doesn't have any outstanding architectural details. There used to be a huge milking barn, ice house, spring house, etc. on the property. The former owners had them bulldozed.

WOW...we just went through this same dilemma. We bought an old farmhouse three years ago just south of Albany, NY--from the 1860's...one of the original 4 houses in this town. It had a gorgeous old barn with it that we intended on restoring. We did get so far as putting a new roof on it (to the tune of 6K!) one year before it burned! An electrical fire started in one corner and pretty much ripped right through it.

Here's the barn after the fire (I wish I had some of it before on my computer, but I don't!)

So, unfortunately, the barn is now ripped down and we're saving some of the old timber for different projects. It was SO SAD to see it go, but we are so thankful it didn't take the house (which isn't far away from this barn!!!)

It would have been over 25K to get it fully restored, and even with that, it would still be burned out looking and smelling on the inside. Plus, the barn was not very functional for us as a garage, since we have no horses or other animals--the new Morton building we're putting up will be 36'X 53' and have three garage doors across the front, one on the back, a steep pitched roof with a cuppola, and an 8' patio off the left side. Now, I'm excited about it, but still sad that we had to lose a piece of history.

Good luck with whatever you choose--but I just want to give kudos to Morton Buildings--I always thought steel construction buildings were UGLY, but you should see how nice and "traditional" many of them are.

--Sarah from Selkirk, NY

Sarah, I stopped in Selkirk this past weekend on my way to Albany. Small world!

I am wondering about the timetable for those NY grants. Any ideas, Molly?

And I meant to say how sorry I am about your barn. What a tough break, especially after just getting the roof done!

Cat

Thanks for the barn-sympathy!!! I got a phone call into my 10th grade history around 10:30 in the morning on April 12th last year from my babysitter who lives right across the street. She was HYSTERICAL, saying that our barn was completely engulfed in flames!!! I tried to stay relatively calm, called my husband upstairs (teaches in the same building) and he ran home right away. I ended my class and took the rest of the day off. Needless to say, the barn really was engulfed---took 8 fire companies several hours to put it out--we closed down the busy street we live on, made the papers, etc. Pretty crazy.

I am excited about the new building, though--it's being delivered tomorrow!!
:)
sarah

Re NY grants,

The time table last year for the applications had a deadline some time last fall. If you've got an application in, I'd give your local SHPO a call to see what's happening. The only grant I'm aware of (in my town) was announced some time in the late Spring. But I expect it is also dependant on the (yes, late again!!!!!!!) State Budget. Molly

Oh, gosh, I don't know if I'd be that calm if I got a frantic call that something was on fire!

The applications had to be in Dec. 16 for the latest grant cycle, and I figured nothing would be announced til after the budget was done. I guess Pataki's hospital stay didn't help speed things along. I hope they contact us one way or another, at least.

27 years ago, we purchased the property we are living in now. The Barn needed a new roof we invited all my husbands co-workers over for the weekend. We provided all the food, they provided the labor. In two days the barn roof was completed. Needs a new roof again, we will be hiring a contractor, everyone is older & wiser. As far as the foundation goes, my husband spent a full summer about 15 years ago, fixing the foundation. The barn is a post & beam, built around 1900. When he fixed the foundation we were also replacing the gutters on the house so we installed gutters on the barn for the first time.

I think if you can save your barn, you should try. It's sad to see barns go. We bought our farm 5 years ago, and have a barn, corn crib, and a few other outbuilding. We are also restoring the house, so we haven't done much to the barn, except tearing down a metal building that the PO attached to the back. The rain was rotting the barn siding where the roof of this nasty metal barn met the old barn.

Our barn has good bones, but the skin is just horrible, because the PO just let it go. :( We have to do things ourselves, so my husband just took down a barn that was gorgeous, but the owners (big time farmers) wanted it off this piece of vacant land due to the taxes! :( It made me sick, but luckily, my husband was the one to take it down. He salvaged the siding, and beams and other pieces, and we will use the siding to replace the siding on our barn. I want the barn to remain wood, so this works great. My fil also wanted his gorgeous barn down about 8 years ago, and my dh did that too and kept all the wood. The farmer that owned the barn that my dh just took down, also has 1 more and possibly 2 more that he wants gone, so we are really lucky there. He also has a gorgeous old home with curved top windows and awesome trim, that is need of some repair, that he wants to tear down!! It just makes me sick!

Anyway, is there any possible way that you could find a barn to take down and use the wood from that to fix anything on your siding? Then, you will just have to worry about the roof.

Good luck with your decision. I'd try everything possible to save your barn though if you can!

I grew up for a time living in a large circa 1850 Victorian farmhouse with an enourmous barn (about 40 x 80 if not longer, two floors) and outbuildings. One day, we came home and found that the entire back wall of the barn had fallen off, all in one piece! Needless to say, it was hoisted back up with a crane of some sort and creative engineering was utilised to make sure it didn't happen again.

That barn was in "okay" shape. I remember my father did all he could to preserve, rather than totally restore. It simply would've taken too much money. The only things done to the barn were a cleanout and repairs to the roof to stop the leaks. Windows to the back of the barn were (neatly) boarded over while the front had work of a basic cosmetic nature done. It wasn't the prettiest barn, but rest assured it is still standing so that someday, someone with the know-how will be able to come in and restore it completely.

Seems the money allocated for the barn grants was cut from the NY State budget. Barnacles!!

http://www.saratogian.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16638718&BRD=1169&PAG=461&dept_id=17708&rfi=6

Here is a link that might be useful: Article

Yeah, Blackcat, I saw that, too. Perhaps when the three yahoos get over their posturing they'll put it back in. We can only hope. Meanwhile, New Yorkers who care about this issue should call their State Senators and Legislatures are make it clear where they stand. This is an election year, so legendary amounts of pork should be flowing out of Albany between now and November, perhaps a little could be diverted to the preservation of old barns. Shoot, they dole out money to all sorts of other stuff. I know, I know it's why we pay all those scandalously high taxes. Ain't it grand?

Meantime, perhaps we could help the OP make a plan to save the barn if we can get an idea which the most pressing entity is and waht's being fussed about. Sometimes small things can quiet them up, and buy some time.

Molly