Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Happy 100th Birthday...

 Clearview Farm is celebrating 100 years this year!


  
The year 1912 has been painted at the peak of the barn roof as long as we remember...



That was the year that our house and barn were built, on fifty acres that once were part of a neighboring farm.  We don't have all the records, but we know that numerous families lived here before Jim's grandparents purchased the farm.  The original owner was a man with the last name of Weaver.


In the early 1940's, when Jim's dad Lloyd was six years old, his parents purchased and moved here to the farm.   (When we removed wallpaper in the kitchen in 2006, we found writing on the plaster wall that mentioned them buying the farm!)

When the family moved to the farm, Jim's Grandpa built the first silo.  This picture, which came from Jim's grandmother, has no date on it, but judging by the looks of the vehicles in the driveway, and the fact that there is only one silo, it must have been soon after they moved here...


This second picture, also from Jim's grandmother, was probably taken about ten years later.  Again, there is no date on the picture, but there is now a second silo at the corner of the barn.



Jim's grandparents made some structural changes to the barn...they enclosed the fore-bay to enlarge the cow stable...they added some box pens to the west side of the barn and they replaced the stalls in the cow stable.  They also built a milk house, where the milk was stored until it could be delivered to the dairy.  Those were the major structural changes that were made, and we haven't made too many more ourselves, other than add some feed bins inside the barn and put in some vents to help cool and ventilate the barn in the summer.


One major thing that has changed over the years, though, is the method in which the cows are milked, the milk stored, and how it is transported to the dairy.  I've asked Jim's Dad to write about that, so stay tuned for another story from a guest blogger...hopefully soon!



While things inside the barn haven't changed much, I do see a lot of things on these pictures outside the barn,  that have!  That white wooden fence around the garden area must have been fairly new then...it's the same fence that we just replaced with PVC a year ago!  The size of the garden is now much smaller!  and the tobacco shed below the garden is now gone...Jim remembers it blowing down in a storm when he was a boy. We've added a couple of outside storage sheds, a chicken coop, had the barn repainted two years ago, and of course there are trees in different places now...

I am fascinated by the huge beams inside the barn.  Apparently the original owner was involved in a lumber mill, had access to good quality materials, and built a solid structure.  There are a few places where you can see how wooden pegs were used instead of nails...
 


There were several ladders built into the hay mows...


I like this old latch on the granary door...


And the original barn roof is still in place...



I've written before about the barn roof...it's made with Peach Bottom Slate, a high quality slate that came from a local quarry.  A good quality roof that is kept in good repair can last a very long time!

The stories that could be told are endless...Jim's Dad grew up here...Jim has lived here almost all his life... and now our children are the fourth generation to live and work on this farm. While our farm might be "young" as compared to some in this area, I think it's fun to think about the last 100 years, hear some stories, and wonder about the stories that will remain untold..."Who lived here before?"..."Who drew those pictures in the granary?"..."What was that room in the attic used for?", etc.

Hopefully there will be many more stories to come!

15 comments:

  1. Loved the old photos!

    Sarah @ This Farm Family's Life

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  2. What a lot of great history! I love the old photos and yep, the garden was huge!! Here's to another 100 years for Clearview Farm! :)

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  3. You are very fortunate! I am a big fan of old building methods and structures.

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  4. That's neat! I too grew up on a farm with an old barn, wonderful memories. It was built by one of my great-great- great's... back in the 1700's!(although at least once it was rebuilt because of fire)
    Thanks for sharing your's!

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  5. A farm with family history from generation to the next is amazing. So many farms are just left to fall a part. So sad to drive by these places & see a trailer next to the old farm house. The old house to me would be so much better. Your farm I am sure has many more stories to tell. Cool how you found the history behind the wallpaper. Blessings!
    Lara

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  6. This is a great post! I love hearing about the history of the farm and how it has been so important to the family for generations.

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  7. Happy 100th Birthday to your farm. Boy they sure don't built things to last like that anymore. It's well preserved with only minor changes. I love the ladder to the hay loft.

    There must be an awful lot of great memories at that farm. You are doing a great job of keeping it in good shape.
    Thanks for sharing.

    JB

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  8. Oh this is very cool. I love the photos. History is the greatest thing but the lingering questions of the pictures stay in my head too. Happy Birthday Barn. B

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  9. Being a part of the history of a place is priceless. I love the pictures of the wooden pegs and ladders, so cool! 100 years old is a great reason to celebrate the heritage of the farm :) Cheers, Jenni

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  10. It makes me feel good to hear about a 4th generation farm. It makes me feel old to think something from the 1900's can now be 100 years old. It should be the 1800's. Thank you for the tour and info.

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  11. I loved this, I love that where you live is filled with so much family history. In this time where everyone moves so much it is nice to see that your family is still there. Your farm is just beautiful and I do love that barn. The barn that was here blew down one year in a wind storm. It doesn't look like yours will ever blow down with those huge timbers.

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  12. I'm so glad your family has been able to survive all the ups and downs of markets and economy. It couldn't have been easy. Sometimes people do things not just to make money but because they love it. Farming is one of those things.

    I popped back to see the barn drawings. I like how the generations have made the barn part of the family.

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  13. Love love the photos! And the history is just amazing-I'm so glad you guys live there : )

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  14. thats so great! i love all the photos but especially the old ones. its fun to see the changes over the generations.. have a great day!

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  15. Amazing post. I too like to know the history of places particularly of my family and the community that I live in. I am always amazed when I am out East how old the history is. Touching building from the early 1700's, It sends chills down my spine. And you live in an area with lots of history.
    How wonderful you find the history of your farm important. These things will be passed on to your children.

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I enjoy hearing what you have to say! Thanks for your comments!