Restoring the iconic Bicentennial Barn art
By Ross Boissoneau
Sun contributor
Scott Stone wants to update the old tradition of a community barn raising. He’s hoping to enlist friends, neighbors and any other interested parties in a community barn painting.
This isn’t just about slapping some red and white on an old barn. It’s about restoring an iconic piece of the county’s landscape: the bicentennial barn just off West Harbor Highway outside Maple City. And it’s about honoring the way in which the barn was first repainted to celebrate the nation’s bicentennial.
When Scott and Tamara Stone heard the property was for sale, they were intrigued. They read about it in a copy of the Sun while they were vacationing at The Homestead.
Fast forward a few months, and in November last year they finalized the purchase. The previous owners, Greg and Heather Ford, had planned to restore the property but ultimately moved away. That left a void, one the Stones have now stepped into.
They immediately got to work. While the previous owners had done some work on the old farmhouse, the barn was lower on their list of priorities. Scott and Tamara are taking on both aspects, with an eye toward restoring the barn in time for the nation’s semiquincentennial next year. They stay in their motor home on the property when in the area, as they are shuttling back and forth between Leelanau County and their Ferndale home. When the repairs and restoration of the property are completed, they plan to move north permanently.
The project dates back to when the barn was originally painted in a patriotic theme to coincide with the country’s bicentennial in 1976. Scott says the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners set out to find a barn on which to paint patriotic images. “This was the one selected. It was a big community event,” he says.
It was then repainted in 2005, again with a patriotic theme. Twenty years on, that paint is fading and peeling. So, Scott thought, why not make the repainting another community project? “Everybody knows it, it’s a symbol of Leelanau County. It’s iconic. From a distance it’s okay, but up close you can see the peeling,” he says.
The vision is to repaint the barn so it will be completed for the 250th anniversary of America’s independence – next year’s semiquincentennial. The goal is to replicate the art on the north side, with a mural of Leelanau County and the Manitou Islands on the south side; the exact details are still to be determined.
Scott hopes to begin the painting prep in late August, starting with scraping and sanding, with the actual painting beginning in September to be completed before the weather turns. “The whole thing has to be primed,” he says. The roof also needs to be repainted to maintain its ability to withstand the elements and remain weathertight.
Local sign painter Dennis Gerathy spearheaded the 2005 restoration and will provide guidance on this restoration. Langsdale Signs and Services will be in charge of the project, and Scott says two of those who worked on it 20 years ago will once again lend a hand. The Stones are now looking for volunteers, sponsors and donations, for time, paint and other materials. They have established a website, Leelanau1776barn.org, to update the community and hopefully interest volunteers in the project. Anyone interested in the project can contact Scott at his email address and phone number listed on the site.
Scott, a retired metallurgist and active woodworker, ticked off the work he’s already done to this point: replacing lower and upper barn doors and hardware, replacing damaged siding, new electrical service, repairing and/or replacing worn and damaged barn flooring, replacing the stairs that fell apart decades ago, and general interior clean-up. He is reusing and/or repurposing some of the original barn materials where possible.
The word “original” is a bit of a misnomer. That’s because this barn is not the first such built on the site – it replaced two previous structures. “Nobody knows when it was built – 1915? 1920? It’s the third one built on the property,” Scott says.
The barn is obviously the most visible part of the property, but it’s not the only one the Stones will be working on. They will be restoring a chicken coop, and eventually will have chickens. Tamara is an interior designer, and a restored shed will serve as her studio. Scott says they also plan to create a large garden.
He says they plan to sell their historic Ferndale home when the house on this property has been fully restored. “The Ferndale house is cool. It was built in 1919, but it’s time” to move.
“I’m not from Detroit, I’m from upstate New York. We’ve been coming up here 25 years and staying at The Homestead,” says Scott. “We’ve always liked it. There’s lots of art, farms, wineries. I’ve always loved this.”
The plans to repaint the barn do not impact the plan for restoring the home. That process was started by the Fords, who reinforced the foundation and updated the septic, roof, doors and floors as well as adding a screened-in porch. When they moved out of state, they listed the property, hoping new buyers would share their vision to restore and modernize it while remaining true to its historic nature and that of the area.
Seems they found just the right couple. Scott and Tamara will be able to finish restoring it to their vision in preparation for America’s 250th and beyond.
