Michigan Barn Preservation Network
Andrew Norton
Growing up in the country it is always sad to see grand old barns in disrepair when I am traveling around Michigan. There are numerous sagging and collapsing barns that are mere shadows of their former selves everywhere you look. Some are merely skeletons with all of the planking and roofing salvaged for other construction projects. Those new-fangled pole barns with their steel roofs and siding sure are functional, but they aren't much for looks. They just don't compare to the rough-hewn beams and thick pine planks of the barns from yesterday. The Michigan Barn Preservation Network (MBPN) is working toward changing that one barn at a time.
The MBPN is a non-profit organization that seeks to restore and preserve Michigan's barns. Their mission statement is as follows -
Promoting appreciation, preservation and rehabilitation of Michigan Barns, farmsteads and rural communities.