Restoration
Hedge Post swings
Hedge Post swings
Hedge Post swings
We had some old hedge post donated to us by Doug Kettering and recently acquired some swings so we decided to make a couple of hedge post swings for our guests. Now you can sit and relax by the pond and feed the many goldfish, watch the birds or just do nothing but enjoy the calm and quiet country. Doug had removed them from a fence line he tore out. The hedgewood tree is a bright golden yellow and extremely rot resistant. Our vision is to create a number of photo opportunities throughout the property where guests can create special memories with a truly rustic flair. More benches, docks and landscaping is on the way as The Old Homestead continues to grow.
Barn restoration
Hedge Post swings
Hedge Post swings
The old barn was quite a mess. The upper level hay loft had collapsed and was hanging not by a thread but by the 50 amp electrical cable used for RV’s on the North side of the building. The entire floor was gone so we added new treated floor joists. Three of the main posts were rotten beyond repair and had to be replaced. Brian Thomas of Four All Seasons Construction replaced those three posts. Other beams with mortise and tenon joints were also rotten so we went on the search for new (old) lumber. Two old wooden barns were made available to us by Brad Le Kamp of Chapin so we set out to dismantle them and haul the lumber back to Rushville. It took roughly six months and over 100 trips to accomplish the tear down. All in all it was approximately 25 tons of lumber.
The other barn we tore down was offered to us by Linda Acherson and Alan Acherson. This barn was HUGE with 3 stories and a basement. We were concerned that we might lose this barn to arsonists as had previously happened to us so we worked during the Winter. It also helped that we had a deadline for getting the soon to be restores Old Homestead. The Old Homestead restoration was completed not only by our hard work but through the generosity of those who allowed us to tear down their old family barns.
This was truly a Labor of Love and we often reflect on how much work went into the restoration. The Old Homestead is a living project that will continue to evolve. We are excited to share The Old Homestead with all our new guests.