Kansas Barn Alliance Fund Established to Preserve Iconic Structures

(Oct. 13, 2008) Beloit, KS — After decades of use, followed by abandonment and neglect, old barns are becoming extinct. As few as two million may be left in the nation, down from six million in the 1930s. And with every downed barn, bits of the nation's story are lost.

The Kansas Barn Alliance (KBA) recently established an affiliated fund with the Kansas Rural Communities Foundation, Wamego, to memorialize and preserve the history and architecture of Kansas farms, particularly those old, iconic barns.

“The Kansas Barn Alliance was founded in 2006 as a not-for-profit organization,” said KBA President Sally Hatcher, Leavenworth. “Our goal is t o preserve as much as we can while we can, including writings, newspaper articles, blueprints, maps, journals and the like, which shed light on the history and architecture of Kansas farms and barns.

Convincing owners that old barns can still be used for agriculture often spurs preservation, Hatcher said. A farmer in Leavenworth converted cow stalls to cement tanks where he raises tilapia. A filtration system collects nutrients from the fish water to hydroponically grow peppers and basil. In Phillips County, an old dairy barn is now home to alpacas, whose hair is harvested for wool.

The first step in saving these living history books is documenting the number of old barns. Last summer, the Kansas State Historical Society completed the Kansas Barn Survey, a statewide survey of historic barns. As a result, seven barns or agricultural structures were placed on the Kansas Register of Historic Places and were approved for submission to the National Park Service for placement on the National Register.

The project involved surveying approximately 315 barns, an average of three barns in each county. The survey required physical access to the barns to allow visual and photographic documentation of the exterior, and interior where possible. The survey is a means to identify the number and types of barns in our state and study their styles and construction in relation to settlement patterns and agricultural trends.

“The survey findings have helped us build a record of historic barns in our state,” Hatcher said. “Barns that are eligible for listing on the Kansas or National Registers of Historic Places are then eligible for heritage trust grants and preservation tax credits.

“Many owners don’t realize those old barns can be adapted for small-scale farming or that grants may be available to help. Rather than tear down an old barn for the antique lumber, we want to preserve as much of our state’s history as possible.”

For more information about the Kansas Barn Alliance Fund, visit www.thekrcf.org. Visit http://kansasbarnalliance.org for more information about the KBA.

About the Kansas Rural Communities Foundation
The formation of the Kansas Rural Communities Foundation in 2006 as 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation created an efficient mechanism through which individuals, families, corporations, nonprofit organizations, and private foundations have been able to create funds and make gifts to benefit their communities.

Donated dollars have established scholarships, built new community playgrounds, assisted families who have children with disabilities, and aided historical preservation, just to name a few. Some of the communities that have benefited from the services provided by the KRCF include Belvue, Havensville, Norton, Olsburg, Onaga, St. George, St. Marys, Wamego, Westmoreland, and Wheaton.

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For more information about the KRCF, contact
René Eichem, executive director
Kansas Rural Communities Foundation
P.O. Box 25 | 529 Lincoln Ave. | Wamego, KS 66547
Phone: 785-456-8444 | Fax: 785-456-8443
E-mail | http://www.thekrcf.org