Raising a legend, the first in a series...

The year is 1871, Mrs. O'leary's cow is busy kicking lanterns, Aaron Montgomery Ward is preparing to launch his Mail-order business, and the first practical telephone had yet to be introduced.

Meanwhile, in Chambersburg, PA, Farmer John Frey is constructing a barn to accommodate his growing farm.  It was the onset of the Gilded Age.  With the recent completion of the transcontinental railroad, many Americans were enjoying a period of great economic growth, especially the farmers.

Fast -forward to 2001.  After 4 generations, John's twin great-Grandsons, James and John Diller, retired after farming the (almost) 100 acres of land for over 30 years.  The land was eventually purchased by the Chambersburg Hospital in 2004, but the barn remained.

The family had taken exceptional care of John's massive barn, taking care not to let anything go.  Its asymmetrical gable identifies it as a ‘Sweitzer’ Pennsylvania type barn.  It also classifies as a brick-end barn with its masonry gable walls.  According to one author, Franklin County is “the epicenter of the brick-end barn type.”  These structures usually had to provide for some type of air movement, so some of the masonry bricks were omitted during the building process.  Eventually, the arrangement of ventilation openings became works of art or “chust for nice.”

After the sale of the property, the only question that remained was "what will become of the beautiful barn that had been so meticulously cared for over the last 140 years?"

Enter Caleb, Steve's go-to guy for acquiring Barns out of the Pennsylvania Amish country.  When Steve saw this masterpiece, he knew he had to be a part of her re-birth.

Come with us on our journey as we transport her and get her settled in to her new home, where she is sure to provide pleasure for many generations to come.  I promise, you will be amazed at the process and delighted to learn about her new purpose in this life!