Alan J. Switzer Family Barn
In the 1870s this five-bay barn was built in the gently rolling and fertile land near Opossum Run and the Wabash River. The barn is positioned on a gentle slope, requiring a ramp for access to the large wagon doors. The barn is open to the hayloft, just inside the wagon doors, allowing access for the hayfork to reach the hay wagons once they entered the barn.
The hayfork system required three workers and a horse to operate. It was used continually until the late 1930s. Alan Switzer remembers operating the hayfork, working with the horse and filling the hayloft.
A combination of hand-hewn and sawmill-cut timbers of Oak are pegged together, creating this old gem. After 145 years of continued use, this sturdy barn is still withstanding the stresses of the seasons. Although no longer used in farming, the Switzer family treasures the barn.
I was impressed with the devotion expressed by this family for each other and for their history. It was a late afternoon in September 2014, when I set up my easel in a field of wildflowers to gain the perspective needed on the old barn. I oil painted a panel 18 x 30 inches.
All the barn paintings are for sale. Please contact Gwen to find out if the painting(s) you are interested in are sold or available.
