Barn Tours

Two Events in Lapeer County…

The 2025 MBPN Fall Barn Tour visited properties in Michigan’s Thumb that transitioned from logging to farming. With history as a focus, the narration took into account not only the barns, but also the land and the people who farmed it. (See History article in MiBarn newsletter.)

Friday, Oct. 10 – A Day of Barn Touring

Participants gathered in Columbiaville to start the tour with a history presentation at the local historical museum. On the bus, host Melissa Jaskiewicz shared stories about the farms along the way and Civil War historian and author Keith Kehlbeck provided commentary en route to a Civil War-era barn.

Tour Route: Most of the tour was in North Branch in Deerfield Township, Lapeer County, with the last stop at the Civil War-era Ransom Myers Farm (now known as Cowbells & Horsetails Organic Farm) in Fostoria in Tuscola County.

Cowbells & Horsetails, the barn at this organic farm in Tuscola County, dates back to the Civil War era. Our hosts, owner Carl Block and his young son Leo pointed out the barn’s features and shared stories.
The itinerary included working farms with livestock. Guests could interact with horses and goats at MEJ’s and see the Herefords and Black Angus in the pasture next to the cattle barn at Howell Farm.

Highlights

The tour included examples of:

Continuing Agriculture: Working farms with livestock

Repurposed structures: A sheep shed converted to a space for building canoes. Farmstead buildings now used for maple sugar processing and honey making.

Relocation: A barn that was moved about 100 feet to a slab foundation and a milk house deconstructed brick-by-brick and reconstructed at a new location.

Stories: A farmstead where a murder took place in the 1930s.

History: A Civil War veteran’s return to the family farm in Michigan’s Thumb

Visitors are intrigued by what they see inside of the Opperman Quilt Barn.

Click here for the Tour Booklet, which details the barns visited and provides information about barn architecture and construction.

Saturday, Oct. 11 – Barn Repair Workshop

Morning activities at a board member’s farm in North Branch included a portable saw mill demonstration.

MORNING  •  DEMONSTRATIONS & TALKS

Talks by Tom Nehil, structural engineer, and Blair Bates, stone mason, covered timber frame construction and the trowel trades.

Patch or Replace?

When an element of a barn has been damaged – anything from foundations to rafters –  how do we determine whether a patch will suffice or a more complete replace or rebuild is called for?

Tom Nehil, a structural engineer and stone masonry teacher, discussed developing a plan of attack, depending on the role of the damaged element in the systems that make a barn work, intended use, desired longevity, extent of damage, esthetics, and historic authenticity. Practicality, practicability, and expense are always part of the equation.

What Has Caused the Need for Repairs?

Blair Bates, a master stone mason and building rehabilitation specialist, teaches the art of lasting  restoration. He focused on cause and effect and showed how repairs should be performed for:

  • Shoring
  • Deteriorated mortar removals
  • Stone replacement
  • Matching mortar replacement finishing and curing

Meet Our Presenters

Tom Nehil

Tom is a structural engineer in Kalamazoo where he specializes in the evaluation, preservation and adaptive reuse of historic buildings. He maintains an active interest in the Association for Preservation Technology, National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Concrete Institute. He is a regular instructor at Tillers International where he teaches wood identification, timber frame design and traditional stone masonry.

Blair Bates

Blair is a master mason with 34 years of experience managing Building Renovation LLC in  Kalamazoo. He offers classes in trowel trades for the preservation of historic structures and is a dedicated instructor for the State of Michigan’s Historic Preservation Office, Tillers International and the National Park Service. He maintains active membership in The Stone Trust, International Concrete Repair Institute, Association for Preservation Technology and National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Tammis L. Donaldson, RA

Barn School Leader: Tammis Donaldson, a licensed architect and founder of Ekocite Architecture (established in 1996) in Royal Oak, brings her unique creative abilities and historical understanding to each project that her firm undertakes.  Her passion for the preservation of historical structures is evident in her involvement with a number of organizations, most notably the Michigan Barn Preservation Network, where she has been a board member from 2008 to 2018 and now an active MBPN volunteer.

AFTERNOON   •   BARN SCHOOL  

Above: Barn School students examine the barn’s exterior to learn about construction methods, assess the structure’s condition and determine priorities for repair and maintenance. Below: BJ’s Barn in North Branch, built in 1912, was chosen as the barn school site.

The second half of the day was devoted to repairs and what a nearby barn needs to ensure longevity. Following Steve Stier’s popular Barn School format, Tammis Donaldson introduced the workshop concept and provided reference materials. She led the group around and in the barn to analyze the structure and its condition. Participants learned about possible repairs and solutions.

“With this training, owners are able to prioritize the needs of their barn and form a plan for repairs, rehabilitation and preservation into the future. This process also gives barn owners the knowledge and confidence to discuss repair and rehabilitation work with contractors,” says Steve Stier, MBPN cofounder and originator of the Barn School format. 

Touring Restored Barns 

Each year the Michigan Barn Preservation Network bus tour visits a different part of the state.

Want to travel the countryside and see Michigan barns up close? Join up with the Michigan Barn Preservation Network for a day of touring with fellow barn enthusiasts and visit with owners at the featured sites.

You’ll learn about barn styles and architecture, timber framing and other traditional construction methods as we explore the current use of old barns and the potential for saving or repurposing old structures. 

And if you are wondering how to fix up your barn, you can get plenty of ideas on our barn tours. Many old barns have the same problem areas and you can talk to builders, preservationists and barn owners who have solved these problems.

MBPN membership gives you priority registration for barn bus tours.

PAST TOURS

2024: Fall Bus Tour in Lapeer County

Barns on tour —Top Row: Ivory Barn, Gregory Dairy Barn. Bottom Row: Stonegate Farm, Huntsman Barn.

The 2024 fall barn tour, held on Oct. 15, featured four examples of barns that, were part of Lapeer County’s agricultural history and tradition. All have been beautifully maintained and restored. Our tour guide, Melissa Jaskiewicz, had many historical tales to tell about the people, barns and farmsteads along the way.   See coverage in newsletter. View tour booklet.

 

Other Previous Tours

2023 – Fall Barn Tour in the Middle of Michigan – Bus tour in Clare and Isabella County 

2022 – A Visit to the Other ‘Up North’ – Northeast Michigan Bus Tour in Alcona, Alpena and Presque Isle counties bordering Lake Huron

2021 – Hadley Farm Hop (September self-driving tour hosted by Hadley Historical Society)

2020 and Beyond – Fall Color Tour in Michigan’s Thumb (This anytime, self-driving tour with the Map-N-Tour app as your guide features 12 rural sites — working, quilt and art barns as well as museums and a farmers market.)

2019 – Spring Barn Tour in Washtenaw County (Ann Arbor-based bus tour)

2018 – Spring Barn Tour in Mid-Michigan  (Bus tour in Clinton and Ionia Counties)

2019 Spring Barn Tour in Washtenaw County. (Photo by Jason Miller)