Where'd da Barn Go... Where da Barn At???

I drove by the old homestead a few days ago and noticed it was empty. All landscaping around the house had been removed and something else was different.

I couldn't put my finger on it so I turned around and drove back and pulled into the driveway.

Well, the railroad ties were gone. Those suckers were so heavy, it took me forever to get them perfectly lined up along the driveway.

But, something else was missing... what was it.

OH... the barn. Where'd the barn go??? It used to be a huge two-story structure at the end of the driveway. Now, it's completely gone, along with the hill that went up the side to the second story. It was a great place to lay and stare up at the stars on a warm summer night.

When we lived there, someone came to the door and asked if he could tear down the barn for us; for free. His plan was to re-sell the barn wood. I understand there's lots of money in it.

My guess is that the current owner is planning to sell the property to the school corporation for future expansion. The middle school is just to the south of the farm house and the surrounding property would be a logical place to build a new high school.

The house is a Craftsman-style home. When I first learned that, I imagined someone turning down the corner of a page in their Sears catalog, marking the home they wanted to order.

I always appreciated the leaded glass in the tops of the windows, the built-in window seat, the woodwork throughout, the built-in wood bookcases between the living room and the family room (parlor and formal living room, most likely), and the brick exterior. I hope that someone will move the home to a new location rather than just tearing it down.