FROM THE ASHES

You may have heard the phrase “Bad things happen to good people.” The saying can be adapted to “Bad things happen to good barns.” Brian and Susan Donovan’s barn in Hilltown Township is one such barn. On September 19, 1871, the Bucks County Intelligencer reported that the barn, then owned by one F. B. Rosenberger, was destroyed by fire, along with most of its contents. According to the paper, Mr. Rosenberger arose about midnight to make preparations for going to market, when a “boy in his employ” alerted him that the barn was on fire. The fire quickly spread to the whole interior of the building. A large farm bell on the property was rung to alert the neighbors, a number of whom arrived.

Luckily, the stock was rescued but very little of the barn’s contents was saved. The dwelling had a narrow escape: The roof caught fire but it was extinguished by the efforts of the neighbors. The newspaper speculated that the fire originated from sparks dropped from a lantern used in the barn.

This tragic occurrence helps provide a date for the barn. (Today, there is an outbuilding on the property with a large farm bell, which might be the one that saved the house 155 years ago.) The dairy barn that replaced it is a double-decker, frame structure that is cantilevered out above the barnyard wall with no support structures. The most prominent feature is a large cross gable on the barnyard elevation. It’s a bank barn, with a wide earthen ramp at its back wall. The ramp terminates before reaching the rear of the barn and the gap is protected by a tall shed roof, a structure called a bridge house. Attached to one end of the barn is a gambrel roof addition that is also banked into the hillside.

A century and a half later, the Donovans were searching for a Bucks County farmhouse on a property that would be suitable for their horses. The farm they found had this dairy barn that would eventually be renovated to accommodate the horses, which are currently stabled in Europe. The lower level’s uneven concrete floor and metal stanchions will eventually have to be removed. The old barn will be renovated. Susan Donovan says she can’t wait until they can bring their horses home. Until that time, the barn houses one sheep and one pony.

The couple were impressed by the barn from the start. They enjoyed wandering through its different rooms and levels. They particularly liked its timber framing held together with wooden pegs. However, they admit its very size was a little intimidating when addressing ongoing maintenance. They’ve had to put a new roof on the barn and repointed the stone wall. While doing work around the property, Brian Donovan made one unexpected discovery: “We found a Philadelphia police uniform dating from the 1800s buried in the front yard.”

Do you own a barn—or know someone who does—that deserves to be featured in River Towns? Send us a note: editor@rivertownsmagazine.com.