This building is a replica of the original carriage barn that stood on this site. The original building was circa 1870, and was rumored to have been moved to this site in 1910. It was a two-bay timber framed building constructed of hand hewn six-by-six inch beams with mortise-and-tenon joinery. While the carriage barn was originally used to store carriages or sleighs, by the 1930's the utilitarian needs of the farm changed and the building was modified to house migrant workers.
The modifications made to the carriage barn impacted the structural integrity of the building. A portion of the structural tie beam was removed to allow for the addition of a second floor double-hung window in the upper west end of the structure. The roof was cut and a dormer was installed for headroom and light. Ribbon windows were added below the dormer for extra light on the main floor. Materials used for the construction consisted of packing crates with tamarack log beams and re-used silo staves for joists. Other structurally unsound modifications were made over the years, these modifications, coupled with the deterioration of the carriage barn made it necessary to demolish the building in the fall of 2004. At the time of demolition in 2004, all that remained of the foundation was a couple of corner boulders, some concrete blocks, and a stump.
This
replica was completed in 2007 with historic preservation millage funds, community development block grant funds, and a generous donation from Charles, Loyal and William Eldridge.
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