Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024
MBPN’s Fall Bus Tour in Lapeer County
Registration Now Open
We’ll start the bus tour at Stonegate Farm, 2681 Hadley Road in Lapeer, and go on to several other barn sites in the area. Included on the route are the Gregory Dairy Barn, the Huntsman Barn on a 900-acre hunting preserve, and Ivory Farms, known for its Chestnut Orchards. Lunch will be served at the restored Old Town Hall in Metamora.
Nominations for 2025 Barn of the Year Awards Open Soon
The Barn of the Year program annually honors barns that support our ongoing mission to preserve Michigan’s agricultural heritage exemplified by its barns. The awards recognize barn owners who have made the extra effort to maintain or restore historic barns.
In the past 28 years of the award’s existence, 108 Michigan barns have been recognized for their unique qualities and/or preservation efforts. The annual search process highlights how rich Michigan is in proud barns that have survived and continue to thrive.
Nominations for the 2025 Awards open on Nov. 1 and will be accepted through Jan. 31, 2025. The Submission Form is now available here.
More information
2024 Winners
Two barns and their owners were awarded the “Barn of the Year” designation for 2024:
- Continuing Agriculture category: Johnson Big Barn in Traverse City (Grand Traverse County), owned by Dean and Laura Johnson
- Family Adaptive Use category: Nelson Family Barn in Ada (Kent County) owned by Michael and Tricia Nelson.
See their story and the other 2024 Great Michigan Barns on the Barn of the Year page.
Just announced…
2025 MBPN Annual Conference
Date: Saturday, March 15, 2025
New Location: AgroLiquid Conference Center in St. Johns
Recap: 2024 Annual Conference
Barn owners and enthusiasts gathered at MSU’s Kellogg Center in East Lansing on Saturday, Feb. 24 for the 2024 Michigan Barn Preservation Network Annual Conference and Membership Meeting.
The all-day event for networking, learning and socializing featured exhibits, conference speakers, a buffet lunch, fundraising auction and the Barn of the Year awards.
With the theme “Adaptive Use: Memories, Events & Museums,” the presentations focused on giving old barns a new life. We heard how property owners have converted their barns into event spaces and how counties and municipalities have benefitted from repurposing donated barns.
Click here to see Bob Griffin’s aerial video of the reconstruction of his barn at Ogemaw County Fairgrounds.
Happy 100th Birthday
The Thumb Octagon Barn (circa 1924) was chosen for the cover of the 2024 MBPN Barn Calendar. Located near Gagetown in Tuscola County, it is believed to be the largest octagon barn in the country. “A Century Jewel” was the theme for the annual Fall Family Days festival held there on Sept. 7 and 8.
Calendar Sponsors
Thank you to our 2024 advertisers. See Directory.
For information about buying ad space or submitting a photo, contact Kristine Ranger at (517) 974-5697.
More information here.
The Questions We’re Most Often Asked…
Q. Is there any funding for barn restoration?
The Michigan Barn Preservation Network keeps tabs on funding opportunities in the form of grants, tax credits and low-interest loans. Click here for the latest information about organizations and programs that provide some kind of assistance.
Currently there are no governmental grants in Michigan to help private owners of barns with restoration or repair of their personal property. Work on barns which are owned by municipalities, nonprofit organizations or other public entities may be eligible for consideration for grants and awards through governmental and foundation programs. Listing on the National or State Register of Historic Places is a requirement for most grants.
Q. How can I find someone to fix my barn?
There are people all across Michigan who do repair work on old barns. Some do historically accurate timber frame work. Some do structural reinforcement by using cables. Some specialize in installing steel roofing and siding. Many will repair anything from foundation to cupola.
Our website provides a Contractor’s List as a place for barn owners to start looking for help.
Also check out Tom Irrer’s article about finding and vetting contractors.
Q. Why are barns red?
MBPN Board Member Keith Anderson offers several practical and cost-effective reasons why red became the dominant color of early barns. See article.
Q. Have questions about rehabilitating or repairing your barn?
MBPN has a committee of experts to answer your inquiries. Contact the chairperson, Steve Stier.
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Click here for current issue.
106 Issues and Counting…
The Summer issue previews the Lapeer County barns on the MBPN Fall 2024 Bus Tour. “Get to Know Your MBPN Board” profiles the Network’s leadership and key volunteers. There are more barn stories, including how the Stephenson Barn was moved to the Michigan Flywheelers Museum in South Haven and renovated as an event and education venue.
Since 1996 this quarterly update for members has featured innumerable stories and photos of barns throughout Michigan…and reports on what our board members, volunteers and supporters are doing to promote our mission. Click here to read the very first issue.
Become a MBPN member to receive the print edition of the newsletter in the mail several times a year.
Visit our archived library of newsletters.
On the Road:
Teamwork & Timbers
Teamwork & Timbers is a one-of-a-kind learning opportunity for youth to experience the barn-raising tradition that was common in Michigan’s rural communities during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
At the request of local organizations, our MBPN volunteers deliver the structural components to festival and school sites in Michigan and coordinate the assembly of a 1/4 size 19th-century timber frame model. While working on this life-size 3-D puzzle, students learn historic construction techniques and architectural terms. They also are challenged to use their math, science, and engineering skills.
This educational experience gives Michigan youth and adults a glimpse into our agricultural heritage, the pride of craftsmanship, and what can happen when people come together to accomplish something that they cannot do alone.
Contact MBPN to ask about scheduling T&T for your group.
MBPN’s Barn School
The Michigan Barn Preservation Network offers barn workshops and classes in both onsite and virtual formats. In the hands-on field program, participants spend a Saturday assessing the condition and stability of a barn and learn about barn architecture, construction, maintenance and repair approaches.
MBPN’s Virtual Barn School 101 is featured on the YouTube channel of the Michigan Historic Preservation. Our Technical Team (Steve Stier, Tammis Donaldson and Stephanie White) covered a brief history of barns in Michigan, barn terminology and parts, and free to low-cost fixes barn owners can do. View Webinar Replay here.
Learn more about the Barn School here.
Welcome to the Michigan Barn Preservation Network (MBPN), a volunteer-based, statewide nonprofit dedicated to promoting appreciation, preservation, and rehabilitation of Michigan barns, farmsteads, and rural communities.
We are committed to the rehabilitation of barns for agricultural, commercial, public, and residential uses. Adapted re-use is a significant strategy for barn preservation – all structures need a reason for being.
MBPN fosters the sharing of barn experiences and resources with this website and through educational events, recognition programs, connections and collaboration.
Barns symbolize positive qualities of American character: strength, honesty, endurance, security and family stability. They remind us of our heritage and help tell the story of rural life. They serve as landmarks while fulfilling the purpose for which they were originally designed, housing agricultural products and animals. With maintenance and some adaptations, they can serve us well for many years to come.
Mission: Promoting Appreciation, Preservation and Rehabilitation of Michigan Barns, Farmsteads and Rural Communities since 1995.