The barn on the homestead was originally built in 1878.
A fire destroyed most of the barn in 1916 and the barn was rebuilt in
1917 on the same location using the same foundation.
The farm was homesteaded by Mark Stringer, Sr., in the mid 1870’s.
Stringer built the barn to use as a dairy and for horses and hay and
grain storage. The farm was later
passed along to his son Otis and then to his son Mark Jr.
Mark, Jr. and his wife Margaret lived on the farm until 1992 when Pearl
Hansen purchased the farm. Restoration of the barn was begun at that time.
The barn is painted red and trimmed in the traditional
white. It s a Dutch gambrel roof
with a lean-to shed on the west side as part of the original design.
The lean-to served as the milking area.
The siding consists of the original Dutch lap siding in an uninterrupted
flow of the siding across the front and back of the barn.
It has both Dutch and sliding wagon doors.
Currently the barn is used for calving in the spring,
shedding for the horse, occasionally chickens and storage of hay and grain.
Areas are also used for storage of art supplies and projects of the owner.
The original hay hook and hardware is in the hayloft still exists, as do
the original milk stanchions. Restoration
will continue.
The barn is located in the Hunter Township, Section 9 of
Wayne County. From Wayne it is
located 2 miles east, ½ mile north and ¼ mile west.
(Carol, thank you for contacting me on this.
It is wonderful to have a barn when there is getting to be fewer all the
time. I hope to get some things set
up more in the barn for some studio space, but I also plan on leaving the barn
in it’s “own integrity” rather than changing it to look like a new space.
I guess that means it will be a limited working studio for when the
weather is fit, and not in the cold of the winter.
But that is ok. I love the
space. Love having the hayloft –
My parents live with me here.
I have added on to the original house that was built in 1878, for
complete living quarters for my parents. They
even have the air conditioning and I don’t at this time, but if this weather
keeps up, this too might change!!! I
also have lots and lots of flowers and field of wildflowers and have planted
over 1500 trees since I moved here. It
is wonderful. If you are up this way, please stop by. I look forward to us meeting sometime down the road.
Best
regards, Pearl Hansen)