WESTERVILLE, Ohio — Good farmers know never to waste anything, and that includes old farm buildings. Throughout the years, barns have been renovated and reused, and those interested in preserving this part of Ohio's history should attend the Ohio Barn Workshop Feb. 21-22 at Everal Barn in Westerville, Ohio.
The workshop is being sponsored by Ohio State University Extension, National Barn Alliance, Westerville Department of Parks and Recreation, Ohio Historic Preservation Office and Friends of Ohio Barns. The event is being held in conjunction with the National Barn Alliance annual meeting.
The purpose of the workshop is to provide barn owners, enthusiasts and contractors the tools to restoring and maintaining old barns, often more cost-effective than tearing them down and building new structures. The workshop will cover the history and structural engineering of barns, as well as economic incentives for restoration and property tax issues.
Workshop sessions will be held throughout the morning of Feb. 21. A tour of various restored barns throughout central Ohio will take place in the afternoon. The National Barn Alliance annual meeting will be held on Feb. 22.
The cost of the Ohio Barn Workshop is $30. The cost of the barn tour is $10, and registration for any individuals interested in attending the NBA annual meeting is $30. Registration fees cover materials and meals.
Everal Barn, the site of the workshop, is a restored 1890s Victorian-style barn, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and owned by Westerville's Department of Parks and Recreation.
For more information, contact Carol Moody, office associate with Ohio State's Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, at (614) 292-1851 or moody.5@osu.edu, or Ann Christy, FABE associate professor, at (614) 292-3171 or christy.14@osu.edu.