Braun barn
The Michigan Barn Preservation Network’s (MBPN) Fall Barn Tour will highlight at least eight historic barns and farmsteads in Washtenaw County: home of Ann Arbor and the surrounding communities of Chelsea, Clinton, Dexter, Saline, and Ypsilanti. The tour will be on Saturday, September 21st, starting at 8:00 am from the south side of Ann Arbor and will last all day. Participants will receive a guide book that will include a map and photos of all of the barns on the tour, as well as some historical information about each barn.
Parker barn, interior
One of the barns featured on this tour was built in 1826 and is certainly one of the oldest barns in the county. Another shining star is the circa-1920s Parker Barn: a 178 -foot long and 60-foot wide monumental barn with a 30-by-50-foot working granary to boot! In all, it is a very nice sampling of barns and farm buildings that illustrate a range of approaches to barns spanning nearly 100 years in Washtenaw County.
Further setting this tour apart is a special dinner on Friday night, September 20th, for those who want to enjoy a farm-to-table meal and a lively conversation about barns in Ann Arbor at Zingerman’s restaurant. The barn tour also qualifies for AIA Continuing Education credits. More information on these matters is available upon request.
Rentschler barn
For MBPN members, the tour is $60 for the day. The cost for non-members is $90. The tour cost—which allows you to tour all nine barn sites with the group—includes the bus and driver, lunch by Zingerman’s, the guide to the barns on the tour, and bottled water and a snack on the bus. The tour is limited to 54 people, so please reserve your seat early to insure that you will get to tour this impressive collection of barns. Secure PayPal for tour reservations is available on the MBPN website.