Nearly two months ago, my attention was drawn to an old barn in Fine, NY, which had collapsed a few years ago, due to weather damage done to the roof. Water damage lead to rot in some important posts and beams and, in its weakened condition, early on a windy day, the barn collapsed.
It has been my privilege to begin salvaging from that site many good quality posts and beams, as well as barn board. It was fortunate that the roof collapsed on many of the sturdy old posts and beams, thus protecting them from the rains which have fallen.
Salvaging posts and beams from a barn is not for the weak at heart, nor for the reckless adventurer. People have taken it upon themselves to raze a barn or to salvage posts and beams from an already fallen barn and it has cost them their lives.
It seems that reclaiming valuable timber from old barns is a venture best taken on by those of us who have many years behind us. It seems that those of us who recognize that we're not in great shape are not at all ill-suited to take on the responsibilities ... and the risk. Being some-what out-of-shape is a GOOD thing, when it comes to getting the job done safely, as those of us in this stage of life CAN'T move quickly ... at least not for very long.
Salvage work of this kind is not for the hasty. It's imperative that we take our time. Hasty decisions are, too often, ill-though-out and can lead to serious injury. Salvage work like this is more for the tortoise than it is for the hare. Slow careful work is the most advisable. Safety is a more pressing criteria than is speed.
Much of my work has been done from outside the barn. Going back in to a barn which has begun deteriorating is something which should only be done with the greatest of caution and such occasions should be as rare, as they say, as hens' teeth ( which is almost as rare as politicians / presidents telling their truth and keeping their word ).
Working alone adds to safety concerns. With the exception of a few different occasions, I was on my own. Well, I was on my own, other than the good and reliable company of an old Ford Jubilee tractor. Lest there be any mistaking the truth, it was the tractor which did most of the work. I was a typical supervisor. I gave orders and the tractor did the rest. That trustworthy tractor pulled out tons of posts and beams, did much of the decking work ( stacking the wood where it could air properly ) and then finally, loaded the logs on a trailor for their journey here to my home.
You can experience a bit of my adventures by clicking on the following link.
There's more to this adventure which has yet to be told. It may surprise you that YOU might be fatefully destined to become part of this story, which began when the Adirondacks were much younger, and covered with old-growth forests.
Tho there are plans afoot to resaw some of the old barn timbers and to make some of that lumber into rustic-style mortise and tenon furniture, there's doubt that I will be able to single-handedly re-use / repurpose all of this valuable old wood.
This is where you are welcome to step into the story.
I'm looking for others who enjoy reclaiming and perhaps cherishing these ancient trees and their resources and in giving them another life. They've already served the environment well, as they have also served a well-known farmer named Fenton ( dairy farm operated almost exclusively with draft horse power ).
These sturdy posts and beams are destined to serve others just as well, in the form of furniture or artistic works, etc.
If you love wood and things made of wood, then you're perhaps the new owner which this old wood needs, to step into the next phase of its life cycle.
If you're interested in becoming the custodian and steward of any of these priceless timbers of the past, let me know. I'm actively looking for people who'll take on this responsibility.
