Information posted at Wachusett Meadow Audubon Sanctuary’s Crocker Barn states:
“Built in 1925 by the Crocker family, this barn formerly housed a herd of prize-winning Milking Shorthorn cattle. It was designed by farm manager Paul Beardsley and was state-of-the-art for its time, featuring a ground floor milking parlor, a trussed, gambrel roof that provided vast interior space to pile loose hay (hay balers were not yet invented), and an overhead tramway system to easily move manure to a separate barn for storage. No longer present, but visible in the historic photo notice the twin silos, the four rooftop ventilators, the additional hay wagon ramp, and the small milk house in the foreground.
Currently, the Cow Barn provides storage for the materials, tools and equipment needed for sanctuary habitat management, and to maintain our trail system, buildings and grounds. Planning is underway to fundraise for renovations that would allow us to welcome visitors and program participants into this wonderful and historic space.”
Information posted at Wachusett Meadow Audubon Sanctuary’s Crocker Barn states:
“Built in 1925 by the Crocker family, this barn formerly housed a herd of prize-winning Milking Shorthorn cattle. It was designed by farm manager Paul Beardsley and was state-of-the-art for its time, featuring a ground floor milking parlor, a trussed, gambrel roof that provided vast interior space to pile loose hay (hay balers were not yet invented), and an overhead tramway system to easily move manure to a separate barn for storage. No longer present, but visible in the historic photo notice the twin silos, the four rooftop ventilators, the additional hay wagon ramp, and the small milk house in the foreground.
Currently, the Cow Barn provides storage for the materials, tools and equipment needed for sanctuary habitat management, and to maintain our trail system, buildings and grounds. Planning is underway to fundraise for renovations that would allow us to welcome visitors and program participants into this wonderful and historic space.”
Makes me homesick for my neck of the woods in Sturbridge, Palmer, Monson, Ware, Springfield. Thanks for the memories via your blogpost!
Thanks so much for visiting! It is a beautiful area for sure!
My pleasure. “”__””
You are so welcome! I spent many wonderful years in Hardwick, so I got to know Ware really well. There’s no place like the Quabbin or Sturbridge Village to my way of thinking!
A very fine barn.
Beautiful old barn. Already 100 years old? I love seeing the barns here in the Wisconsin countryside too.
Ooh, I’m sure you must have fabulous barns in Wisconsin, given how famous you are for cheese!
Yes, I’d like to do an old barn photo tour. Hmm, this could be an idea for a day during our Covid spring break!
If I lived in Wisconsin, I’d surely be into that! How about barn tour/cheese tasting tour? Yum!
Yes, there’s a summer Tour the Barns bike ride that I believe does just that. : )
Wow! That is one impressive barn. 😊
Yes…It’s really fun to be around!
A very attractive barn, Julie. I wonder why 3 of the 4 roof structures were removed. Do you know what they are?
The roof structures were for ventilation, but I don’t really know why they were removed. Plans are underway to redo the barn to have classes, etc, inside, but as you can imagine, it will take a lot of money. And the covid kind of put the whammy on finances.
I hope the money will eventually be raised. Fingers crossed!
What a beautiful and impressive barn. The wooden shingles are remarkable.