In March of 2023, I was contacted by a landowner in Winchester, Ohio, who had a charming hand-hewn barn. After purchasing the barn, I learned that it was John Wayne’s great-grandfather’s barn, which piqued my curiosity. I traveled to the Adams County Courthouse and searched through dusty old yellow books to find the original deed and purchase agreement, along with the land maps from the original holding company that had transferred the deed to Robert Morrison on a homestead.
The barn had to be removed promptly due to new construction coming to the area. We blueprinted, tagged, and disassembled the barn. Along the way, we drew a big crowd—neighbors, local business people—who stopped to take pictures and ask about the barn’s historic value. They were all very happy to know that we were saving it.
Since then, we have put the frame in on CAD with all the measurements. The barn frame is now located at our facility in Sycamore, Ohio, completely protected from the elements. The frame construction is all hand-hewn white oak, featuring double tie beams, wall braces, and an impressive ridge beam that houses the rafters along the full length of the center of the barn’s roof. Not only does it have historic value, but it also boasts unique construction features that you don’t see on every barn frame. We are eagerly looking forward to putting this historic frame back up.