University of Wisconsin - Extension

MADISON, Wis.- If you own a barn needing help, are a contractor wanting to learn about preservation skills, or are simply a barn enthusiast who wants to enjoy these rural structures, an April 30-May 1 workshop, Barns on the Urban Edge: Giving New Life to Old Barns, offers a unique opportunity to explore barn and rural structure preservation. Seven area and national speakers will be on-hand to offer instruction and answer questions at Schumacher Farm County Park near Waunakee.

Schumacher Farm County Park is a Dane County public park, managed by the Friends of Schumacher Farm as a 1920-1930s living history farm museum. The park offers an excellent setting for learning the latest on the preservation and restoration of rural structures. Located on the eastern edge of Waunakee, about five miles from I-90-94 north of Madison, numerous rural structures including a barn, house, hog house and granary will be open for viewing and instruction. There is also an abundance of old farm tools and machinery. A special bonus will be the opportunity to watch a neighboring barn being moved across a field to Schumacher Farm.

The Friday, April 30 evening program begins with a social hour to meet the barn experts, contractors and consultants who repair and restore barns and other structures. From 5 to 7 p.m., participants will be able to ask questions about their own projects. Bring photos, notebooks and plans to share. The evening program will be held at the American Legion Post 360, 417 E. Main Street, Waunakee, and includes a hors d' oeuvres buffet and cash bar. From 7 to 9:30 p.m., Yarns and Barns: A Rural Story-Telling Program will explore the role farms have played in rural story telling, including tips on gathering and documenting such stories and a chance for audience members to share their stories. The cost of the entire Friday evening program is $15 for adults and $10 for children under 12.

Contractors have long been the backbone of these barn preservation workshops. The Saturday, May 1 contractors workshops are presented by Ernest Bingham of Great American Chimney and Masonry, Madison; Robert Christlieb of Paul Davis Restoration, Cottage Grove; Mark Mitchell of Mitchell Construction, Burnett; Brian Miller of Miller Architectural Group, Milwaukee; Bryon Perona of Country Craftsman, Salem; Bob Childs of Childs Moving Contractors, Boscobel; and Mike Woodford of Woodford Brothers, Apulia Station, N.Y.

Instruction and information will be provided on roofing (metal and composite), cabling/straightening old buildings, post and beam repairs, mortar selection and foundation repairs, adaptive re-use planning, ventilation/insulation for four-season applications, moving old structures, and assessing what's wrong with your barn. Participants are encouraged to bring photos and diagrams of their barn project to receive the best advice from presenters and other attendees.

Special sessions will focus on four adaptive re-use case studies involving barns, planning/zoning and permit issues, tax credits and state historic registration. The fee for Saturday workshops is $60 per person or $100 per couple. The fee includes continental breakfast, lunch and snacks, instruction and conference packets.

An optional pre-conference program, "Getting Started," will take place Friday, April 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This program is designed for those who have a project in mind or are exploring the feasibility of one. Participants should bring preliminary or conceptual plans with them, as the workshop will provide practical help and a chance to work on these projects. Led by Rob Christlieb and Brian Miller, this session requires separate registration at a cost of $40 per person by calling the Friends of Schumacher

Farm directly at 608-849-4559.

The registration deadline is April 23. These workshops nearly always sell out, so don't wait to register. For registration details and lodging information, contact Susan Koch at the Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation, at 608-255-0348. Or, contact Mindy Habecker, Community Resource Development Agent for Dane County UW-Extension, at 608-224-3718. For a program brochure, go online to http://www.uwex.edu/lgc/barns/barnworks.htm .

The workshop is sponsored by Dane County UW-Extension, Dane County Historical Society, Dane County Parks Department, Friends of Schumacher Farm, Wisconsin Historical Society, and the Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation/Barns N.O.W! (Network of Wisconsin).