New England Battles to Save Historic Barns

In a drafty old factory near the Connecticut River, carpenters were preparing the remains of a farmer’s 160-year-old barn for a new life.

They cleaned the beams, including three 55-foot-long pieces of hemlock that stretched the length of the building. They chiseled out rotted sections and glued in good old wood from other barns.

The replacement parts will be barely visible when the beams are reassembled into a hay barn for a farmer in New Hampshire, on the other side of the river.

The carpenters work for the Barn People, which has found itself in the midst of a controversy that pits those who are trying to preserve New England history against a restoration artist who claims that he is breathing new life into crumbling structures.

The Barn People is one of about a dozen New England contractors specializing in disassembling barns, especially 18th- and 19th-century barns held up by massive posts and beams.

Sometimes, as with this barn, they are reassembled for agricultural use in New England. More often, they become guest houses, “great room” additions or massive homes. And often, they are reassembled for well-heeled clients in Hollywood, Long Island, Washington state’s Puget Sound and Sun Valley, Idaho.

The old beams add strength and comfort to new construction, admirers say.

But the barns’ migration doesn’t sit well with some New Englanders, like Vince Kuharik, a Meredith, N.H., barn lover.

“They want bragging rights; they want a little bit of New England history,” Kuharik said. “But it’s our history, not theirs.”

For half a year, Ken Epworth, owner of the Barn People, has been at the center of the dispute in Concord, N.H., where he is accused of plundering the rural landscape, buying old barns and shipping them out of state.

At issue is a big yellow barn that Epworth bought and planned to dismantle.

It was built in 1774 by Nathaniel Rolfe, an early settler on what was then the northern frontier of the colonies. He was a descendant of John Rolfe, who married Pocahontas, and an ancestor of Red Rolfe, third baseman for the New York Yankees in the mid-20th century.

The barn is large, well-preserved and of a relatively rare design -- and its neighbors don’t want to give it up. The Penacook historical society wants to use it for an exhibit; a teacher wants to use it to teach students about their agricultural past. At heated City Council meetings, neighbors recalled ballgames and sledding parties behind it.

“It’s just not an ordinary barn,” said Jim McConaha, a state historic preservation officer. “The structure is unique; it’s in perfect condition and, historically, it’s belonged to the same family -- an important family in our history -- for about 200 years.”

The council in February voted to take the barn from Epworth by eminent domain; it is waiting for an appraisal before proceeding.

Epworth, a New York native, believes that he is helping preserve bits of history.

“The barn represents a way of life that no longer exists,” said Epworth, 57. “At one time, 90% of America lived on farms.”

But around Concord, Epworth has been compared to Lord Elgin, who plundered classical antiques from Greece to fill British museums. He understands the city’s concerns, but is reluctant to give up the barn because it’s promised to a client. Still, a settlement is possible.

No one has a good count on how many old post-and-beam barns are still standing in New England, or how many are in danger of falling down or being moved out of the region.

At a recent hearing on a bill that would slow the removal of barns out of New Hampshire, Kuharik estimated there are 2,500 left in the state and that they are leaving at the rate of 150 a year. Lawmakers put off the legislation until next year.

Epworth, who generally pays less than $10,000 for a barn, says contrary to popular belief, three-quarters of his restorations stay in northern New England.

He buys options on barns and dismantles them when he finds the right client. Often, he spends a day or two driving clients around the countryside, looking at his “standing inventory.”

He says he’s confident that there are enough barns left for him to stay in business until he retires in about 15 years.