Gone

I snapped this photo a bit over two years ago.  This barn was obviously doomed when we saw the tin roof coming off, even though it was a much better building than our old barn that we have been jacking up out of the termites for thirty-some years.  The taxes on old barns like this really aren't the problem in Illinois.  An old building that does not contribute to the farm is taxed at a very low rate as an encouragement for farm families to preserve a bit of their history, but there is still upkeep to take care of, and a coat of paint every few years is an inconvenient expense.

Well, we still have a stack of lumber in our barn for doing repairs, and I hope we can get back to the north side this summer and replace some of the bad wood.  After we finish with the walls we need to come up with a strategy to deal with the rafters and roof.