I’m grateful to my neighbor for pointing out that a historic barn was being auctioned off to be dismantled and removed to make way for the new Stanton Elementary School. It was a beautiful barn that the locals described as a landmark. Although it was 80-100 years old, it was built so well that it would have lasted another century.

It was a shame it had to come down, but if it were, I would throw my hat in the ring. Having ZERO experience with dismantling a barn, I started to research and ask around for someone to take it down and to get an idea of what to offer as a bid. Needless to say, my proposal was awarded, and the clock started ticking for me to bring it down.

I won’t bore you with the full-blown story, but in short, it was a stressful process. The person I hired to dismantle the barn started great but lost interest, leaving me with a ton of work to do to fulfill my obligation to the Powel County School District. In addition, I was managing my day job (Windham Designs), overseeing the construction of our new See Rocks Vista Cabin, and building the furniture for that cabin whenever I had a free moment.

Through a contact given to me by a friend and artisan, Jason Cohen of Bourbon Barrel Furniture, I reached out to Scott of Reclaimed Reserve. We reached an agreement where his crew would take down the barn if I were to split the wood with him. Seeing as I had limited options and the barn was 100 times more wood than I could ever store and use, it was the perfect deal. It took the stress off my shoulders and gave me access to the wood I needed to finish the furniture and the cabin.

You can see the wood used in my See Rocks Vista cabin photos, and although I hated to see the barn come down, it is rewarding to know that the wood will live on in our and other cabins.