National Park holds barn restoration workshop
From staff reports
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will again be hosting their successful barn restoration workshop June 18-22 at the Thoreson Granary and Corn Crib located off M-22 on Thoreson Road, four miles north of Glen Arbor. This year marks the 17th anniversary of the partnership between the Michigan Barn Preservation Network and the National Lakeshore in developing this series of “hands-on” workshops. The park and the Michigan Barn Preservation Network are providing the skilled labor to put on this workshop.
The workshop at the Thoreson Granary will focus on stone masonry repair. The Corn Crib took a tumble during a January wind storm and will be set upright and secured to its base. The course will include: 1) basics about mortar, 2) mortar analysis, 3) mortar and raking demonstrations, 4) tuck pointing and finishes, 5) tool use and equipment safety, 6) structural assessment of a damaged structure, and 7) correcting deficiencies to ensure structural stability upon building repairs. The course is set up so participants receive “hands on” training of all techniques. The workshop begins on site at 9:00 a.m. each day. There is no cost to participants. Tools and materials will be provided. Participants should wear boots, gloves, and bring a sack lunch for each day they attend.
Workers are not required to be skilled in the building trades, though experience will be helpful and appreciated. The purpose of the workshop is to teach the techniques and train owners and interested public how to do restoration work on timber and frame structures. Past workshop attendees have ranged in age from 7 to 70, with each contributing their own unique skills to the project.
The public workshops started in 1997 at the John Burfiend Barn in the Port Oneida Rural Historic District, with subsequent workshops again at the Burfiend Barn, Brunson Barn, Lawr Barn, Klett Pasture Barn, Miller Barn, Barratt Pig Barn, Bufka Barn, and South Manitou Island’s Beck Farm.
Interested parties should contact the park Historical Architect, Kimberly Mann, at (231) 326-5135, ext. 501, or by email at kimberly_mann@nps.gov, to sign up for the workshop. Campsites will be arranged at the D. H. Day Campground near Glen Haven as needed. For more in-depth information about the National Lakeshore, please go to www.nps.gov/slbe.
