| |
This grouping of
30 barns can be seen dotting the countryside north of St. Louis. Joe
Minch, a shipbuilder who migrated to the Rockbridge area in 1874,
offered to build a barn for a local farmer in exchange for a set of
tools. Included in his design was a round, porthole window that was a
carry-over from his shipbuilding days and became a signature of his
work. Because agricultural practices have changed dramatically in the
last century, these barns are often too small to accommodate modern
farming equipment. Lack of use and deferred maintenance has led to the
steady deterioration of Minch’s barns. Four of the barns attributed to
Minch have been lost in recent years and it is feared that much of the
collection will disappear if not stabilized.
To view and
print a local map from the 2009 “Quilted” tour, which highlighted these
endangered porthole barns
click here.
Press
Greene County Porthole Barns
(Springfield) State Journal-Register, December 18, 2009
| |
|
|
| |
HOW CAN I HELP?
To volunteer with the local historic preservation group, or assist
individual barn-owners with maintenance needs please contact:
Seth McGee
Illinois Valley Cultural Heritage Association
Rural Route 1, Box 135
Eldred, IL 62027
Phone:
217-638-2103
seth.mcgee@eldredhouse.com |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
