FeedsGoing up?
Site being prepared for reconstruction of historic barn
Residents celebrating the rural heritage of Canton later this month at the little historic corner of the township might get just a peek at the newest addition to the area.
The century-old Cady barn was spared total demolition when Bob Boyer agreed to pay for the disassembly and rebuilding of the structure near the Bartlett-Travis House, another township historical gem, at Cherry Hill and Ridge roads. The Plymouth-Canton Com-munity Schools were moving forward with a new phase of tennis courts on the land the barn previously occupied.
When will the barn be resurrected?
“The progress is mostly behind-the-scenes activity,” said Ann Conklin, director of leisure services. Her department is coordinating the preparation of the site. The township is designing the foundation and footings for the barn, which will be without the basement it had when it was built on an embankment at the former site.
The designs were expected to be completed Monday.
“Once we get those, we will forward (them) to Bob Boyer for construction,” said Conklin.
Boyer plans to employ Amish tradesmen from Homer in the rebuilding, as he did in the taking down of the barn. The longtime business owner is paying at least $75,000 for the project.
The township has run into a small delay in the design of the foundation, for which it is responsible.
“The soil borings did detect water between the sand and clay layers of soil,” Conklin said. “The water caused modifications in design and construction of the building pad and in the design of the foundations and footings.”
Construction should be ready to move forward after that, but Conklin said the barn may still be taking shape during the Village Faire, an annual event that celebrates “simpler times” and takes place in and around the Bartlett-Travis House.
Though the building timeline may coincide with the fair, it’s not part of the event.
“It will either have the material stock-piled awaiting construction or an active construction site. In either case, any observation will be from a distance.”
The Village Faire typically features a slew of old-fashioned activities, including a corn roast put on by the Lions Club. Past events have included a small petting zoo, fashion show and blacksmithing demonstrations. The event is scheduled for Aug. 27 this year.
It remains to be seen if the barn will be incorporated into the event in future years. Once the structure is rebuilt, it will be used for storage and display purposes only. Canton has not yet committed to the substantially higher cost of outfitting the barn for public events, which the township estimates would be $157,500.
