Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Connected to Luther

My wife, our next door neighbor lady and the neighbor lady beyond her all graduated from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. We recently attended our nephew's Decorah High School graduation. I saw this 10,000 square foot barn there that can trace its history back to 1868 and English settlers, Captain Anderson Ashmore and Thomas Filbert. After a bad wheat harvest in 1874, Ashmore returned to England and Jacob Jewell, a Yankee settler, bought the place and built a second barn. In the 1880s, Jewell's son, Frank, added another section and at the turn-or-the-century, the barns were connected and the long section extended. Frank sold it to Luther College in 1929. The barn housed livestock and produced milk, meat and eggs for college students and staff until the 1960s. The Amish later restored the barn. To see other "Barn Charm" participants, click here.


25 comments:

Dina said...

What a story! What a grand old barn.

Unknown said...

Not only composition and colours are fantastic but also there's a great story behing this beautiful barn.

Montreal Photo Daily said...

Very interesting post Leif! I like stories like this about the history of places and people. Thanks for sharing this.

Bon mardi!

Kate said...

Interesting history, Leif! The barn has an unusual shape. Glad it had been useful to the students. I wonder how the Amish are using it?

Rose said...

That barn is one of the finest looking barns I have ever seen....it is a real beauty. Wouldn't you love to hear the stories it could tell>

T. Becque said...

Great barn with great history, I love places like this.
How wonderful you've met so many bloggers! I hope to meet more on future travels.

Anonymous said...

What a tremendous sized barn... for the SERIOUS FARMER; no joking around here! =)
It's sooo beautiful & I love love love that stone foundation... Quite an old charmer, indeed!!! =)

Thanks so much!

Gabriele said...

Tolle Story und sehr schönes altes Haus. Die Wiese sieht so gepflegt aus! Als wenn sie nur darauf gewartet hätten das Du vorbei kommst.
Herzliche Grüsse von UNS

Lois said...

I don't think I've ever seen a barn that big!

Rob Siemann said...

Nice big barn indeed. I like historical barns.

Lesley said...

Those good ol' Amish did a good job of restoring it, by the looks of. And you did a good job of photographing it.

Anonymous said...

Nice picture! I was here during the restoration time in the early 90's!

Regina K said...

A grand sized barn and wonderful photo and history.

Elaine said...

Fabulous barn and lovely photo! I like learning about its history too. Good post!

PerthDailyPhoto said...

That barn just looks so well cared for Leif, and I see it's in the traditional barn colours.

Jack said...

It is a great barn with a stone foundation and red wood above. I got lost in the story . . . sorry!

Randy said...

That is one big big barn!

Marcel said...

What a lovely barn, the colors make it look a bit Swedish don't you think?

Unknown said...

Such a beautiful old barn. Knowing its history makes it even more attractive.

Michel Benoit said...

Magnifique bâtisse !
Qui dira que la jeune Amérique n'a pas de beaux monuments historiques ?
Hello from Avignon

Anonymous said...

Leif,
Seeing this barn makes me think of my youth in St. Louis, MO and going to Prairieville IL to my uncles farm. We used to place in the barn.
Thanks, your barn has quite a story.
Suzanne from Wooster Square Daily

Fjällripan said...

Vilken stor och vacker gammal ladugård! Intressant historia också.

Trevlig midsommar!

Mark said...

What a great barn!

Living In Williamsburg Virginia said...

Great shot and what an idyllic setting.

Darryl and Ruth :)

Carole said...

Okay, that building definitely fills me with barn envy. lol Would love that one on my property!

See my barn charm here...

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