European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 29, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Richard w. Babcock stand before the pre Revou Flonary Tarn that he hat in Dedham Matt. Artisans strive to preserve nation s historic barns by Mercer Cross National geographic a Merica s old barns Are crumbling away but people like Richard a Babcock Are trying to save As Many of them us . Owner of a barn museum at Hancock mass. Has developed powerful arms Aryl shoulders from 30 years of Hetting huge wooden beams in restoring rehabilitating Ana rejuvenating Anub ii barns from new England and new York. He s a zealous missionary who tells anyone who will listen the original barn is a priceless using fastidiously maintained old fashioned tools such As adze and hewing axes he has rebuild about 75 barns. Babcock has considerable company throughout the United Stales. Old barns of All kinds Are objects of nostalgia relics of our agrarian past and reminders of simpler times. Erma Bombeck every Section of the country has distinctive traditional barns Many of them decaying. New barns tend to be look alike Metal Sheds functional but devoid of Romance. Mob of Babcock s restored barns have been moved from their original Sites. Many have become inc Core of expensive Homes with High peaked ceilings and Interior frames of massive hand Hen Oak beams. In what Babcock views As his crowning achievement he moved two Isih Century Berns from upstate new York to suburban Vienna va., were they i t now a barn of wort trap an acoustically exemplary performing arts Center. In Dedham. A Boston suburb Babcock 52, and his Small Crew of artisans Are putting the finishing touches on a pre revolutionary barn belonging to the animal Rescue league of Boston. Babcock Calls the project a fusion of history with modern methods Lor the treatment of history 15 critical to All of Babcock s propels. I be become a nut about in to says to spends hours in courthouses diligently tracking Down a claims of Tho barns to preserves sometimes to writes Brief histories of Tho barns from his assiduous research he has Learned among other things. That pro revolutionary new England plan Lahon owners had Many Black slaves he has found and dismantled what he thinks is a barn built by French Colliers near Hoosick . In Iho mid 16th Century Long before most historians have recorded choir presence. I m concerned that Loo Many people Are looking at bams for Profil. And they re really not much interested in the history Babcock says. A Little of that May be Good but maybe too much of it is terribly bad because we lose some wonderful a few Stales away in Pennsylvania Dale Lehmer quit his Job As a social worker 10 years ago and Lumen to full Lime barn rehabilitation in Chester county Homol Many Stone barns built by Quaker Farmers in the 18th and 19th centuries Lehmer now 42, specializes in barn conversions often to houses or additions. I Don t want barns to vanish he says. They have a certain artistic Quality about whom they put people in touch with their history in Ages Pas i. He says the amount of work people put info barns and love and commitment matches what went into churches. Martha Leigh Wolf historic preservation specialist at the Brandywine conservancy s environmental management Center in Chadds Ford in Chester county sharply distinguishes Between restoration actually restoring a barn to its original condition and rehabilitation or adaptive reuse Lor another purpose such As a House. Many rehabilitation bother her. So Many barns Are handsome buildings she says but they lose their Baroness Solo Babcock argues that a rehabilitation when done right preserves the integrity of the original barn. It s an effective Means of preservation too he says. Ii in t just robbing a barn off the land. It s actually even doing More with Barclay and Lucy til Mann and their family live in a spacious House in Concord mass., that Babcock rehabilitated from an to blah Century new York barn. It s very much a Way of life says mrs. Tittmann. La a hard to imagine living in another kind of House alter this although barn rehabilitation May be concerned in the Northeast it s by no Means limited to that area. Some years ago William Kirsch an architect in will Valley calif., designed a vacation Home in the Napa Valley to be built irom an old Redwood Bam. I think it s terrific. It s a colourful open easy place Kirsch says. Ii is the Only Bam Home he has designed but he plans to build another. Most Western barns unlike the sturdy one in his native Ohio Are just kind of slapped together he says. They tall apart faster a drive to preserve the nation s historic barns has been launched by successful farming Magazine in Oes Moines Iowa and the National Trust or historic preservation. Under the program whose slogan la barn again $1 Usu Cash awards me paid or tha Best examples of preserved or renovated old barns of some people restoration is More pragmatic than romantic. For example Edward j. Butger a Washington o.c., physician needed a barn for his farm near Woodstock it he Lound one four Miles away that was built in the Early 1800s. Me and a neighbor Tore ii Down moved it and rebuilt it. It was great fun says Burger. For the last several years japanese manufacturers have infiltrated our lives with their cars. Cameras and electronic goodies. Their Success at producing what America wants is amazing Sony is our second language. We speak Mitsubishi thu Nelly. Toshiba Rolls Oil our Tongue like butter melting in our Mouth. It always used to be fascinating to read what their designers had on their drawing boards Lor our future Atter Reading a recent Story on what is being previewed As the latest consumer products from Japan i think they be lost it Japan is at work on a personalized sound activated household shrine. Clap twice and the doors open automatically on a miniature altar the Interior lights up and a recorded prayer stars to play. It s available in Buddhist and Shmalo models. I could be wrong but i m witling to bet Hal at 1675 it s going to have a Long shelf life. Page 16 the stars and stripes a japanese wedding gown manufacturer thinks he has come up with a Winner for the american Market a fiber optic wedding dress that glows in the dark. They play Well in Japan because their weddings Are by candlelight. Drip dry maybe but i have a feeling hat glowing Tike a Tennis Ball will never catch on in the Midwest. They re also at work on an automatic bread maker thai kneads the dough As you Steep. Before you sack out at night you pour the flour water and yeast in a Container. In the morning it s ready Lor the oven. I guess the logic behind Hal is in american women gel choked up when their Woitel bowls Are being cleaned As they sleep think what All thai dough would do for them they re too late anyway Sara Lee Gol Here first. Another idea that definitely needs work is the stereo Cabinet where you climb in play music get a Massage saturday August 29,1987 and inhale oxygen enriched air. Unless you draw Michael Jackson s name in he Christmas Exchange to gel in. For s9.000 you can go to a Mountain lop in Tibet and hum. I know what you re thinking. You re saying look How Many americans said they d never eat raw Tish and today Here Are sushi bars All Over the country. Bui when you come right Down to it americans Are practical people with practical needs. What about the electronic Bridge score pad the copier that Dos m your hand the horse race analyser that lakes a 9v Batley the Bug de Lector to see if you re under surveillance the portable instrument Hal tells you where the Sweet spot is on your Goll ball7 All flukes. It s like Henny Youngman s brother in Law who opened up a i All Man s shop in Tokyo bad marketing advice. Cd Loi Anselm times syndic la
