another old barn

rusty6 · Feb 2, 2021

I recorded this over 3 years ago and never got around to putting it on yt til last night. The barn was built in 1947-48. Walls are all cement blocks. Most of them built right on the farm using block molds and gravel right from the farm. The rafters must have been a bit weak and the roof collapsed about 20 years ago covering up an old binder that was parked by the barn. Ironic that the barn never saw much use as the brothers left the farm to work in a t.b. sanatorium within the next year or so. This photo shows the barn when the roof was still on it in the mid 1980s.

Cement Block Barn

bc · Feb 2, 2021

I heard of a guy around 1900 that built houses in a nearby town using blocks he made himself. In the winter he made them in his basement. They had a unique design on the outside and you could drive and and see the foundations and porches made from his mold.

Eric in IL · Feb 2, 2021

My uncle had a cement block machine in the 60's-70's. He set it up in a barn on my grandpa's farm. I don't remember much about its operation as I was too young, but I did get to see it run. Many of the blocks he sold are scattered around our county in basements or buildings today.

The thing I remember the most was a tractor he converted into a forklift to move the pallets of blocks. It was a Case VAC with a narrow front. He reversed its operation and added a mast from a forklift that he found somewhere. The steering was all hydraulic operated by a "joystick" right beside the seat. That tractor moved a lot of blocks for many years. I sure wish it was sitting in my shed today, it would be really handy.

rusty6 · Feb 2, 2021

(quoted from post at 07:48:42 02/02/21)
They had a unique design on the outside and you could drive and and see the foundations and porches made from his mold.

The molds for the barn in the video did not show any unique markings. Slightly different height and colour to the "store bought" blocks they used to finish the top rows of the walls. Me and old barns go back a long ways.

Bruce from Can. · Feb 2, 2021

That was a nice barn when new. The cement block silo on our other farm was as most block silos around here built in the early part of the last century, had blocks made in the farm. Served the original farmers well.

Tom in TN · Feb 2, 2021

There's a funeral home in Dayton, TN that was built in the 1980 timeframe using home made cement blocks. There probably were more guys working on the manufacture of the blocks, but I only saw one guy doing it in the many times that I drove past the project. One side of the blocks had a pattern to them that made the building look a little bit more fancy that just plain flat blocks.

I haven't been back there since 1981 so I have no idea how the building has done during the past 40 years.

Tom in TN

BillinCentralMO · Feb 2, 2021

Very cool. Part of your farm operation now ?

rusty6 · Feb 2, 2021

(quoted from post at 10:18:01 02/02/21) Very cool. Part of your farm operation now ?

Yes, that was my great uncle Ernie's homestead, adjoining my grandfather's and other great uncle's so its 6 quarters in a block. Nice to farm the original homesteads with all the memories and history that is there. That is great uncle Ernie in the black and white photo with my mother and myself. Building the present barn in my yard. Guess I never dreamed back in 1954 that I'd be in and out of that barn pretty much every day for the rest of my life.

Vito · Feb 2, 2021

That’s really awesome that the land and buildings are all attached to
your family. Kind of special to be in one spot your whole life.

Vito

bc · Feb 2, 2021

What about the old car sitting there?

retired farmer · Feb 2, 2021

I would clean it up and build a house on top of it. Amazing the blocks are still in good shape.

rusty6 · Feb 2, 2021

(quoted from post at 11:24:11 02/02/21)
What about the old car sitting there?

You might have noticed in the video I was trying on a set of wheels in preparation for moving it home. 3 years later it is still there. Maybe this year.

55 50 Ron · Feb 2, 2021

Those are neat memories. Thanks for them. They have a magnetic effect for me since (as I've said here before) they remind me a lot of my home area in North Dakota about 270 miles SE of your area.

55 50 Ron · Feb 2, 2021

Are the 6 quarters in a block part of the 100 acre wood?

rusty6 · Feb 2, 2021

(quoted from post at 12:04:41 02/02/21) Are the 6 quarters in a block part of the 100 acre wood?

More the other way around Ron, but yes. And the bison pasture is now part of the hundred acre woods.

BillinCentralMO · Feb 2, 2021

Great story too !

JK-NY · Feb 2, 2021

Thank you for posting the pictures and the video. The barn looks like it could easily be rebuilt, either similar to the original design or with trusses on top of the block walls. We had a 1939 or 1940 Pontiac when I was young. My mother didn’t like driving it due to the long hood (straight 8) and lack of power steering so it got sold. My father later often wished that he had kept it but he already had a Model A Ford and we didn’t have any storage for it. Cars left outside in the weeds in this part of the country rot away much worse than out your way.

Richard G. · Feb 2, 2021

WOW, Thanks for posting.
Richard

another old barn

rusty6

Well-known Member

bc

Well-known Member

Eric in IL

Well-known Member

rusty6

Well-known Member

Bruce from Can.

Well-known Member

Tom in TN

Well-known Member

BillinCentralMO

Well-known Member

rusty6

Well-known Member

Vito

Well-known Member

bc

Well-known Member

retired farmer

Well-known Member

rusty6

Well-known Member

55 50 Ron

Well-known Member

55 50 Ron

Well-known Member

rusty6

Well-known Member

BillinCentralMO

Well-known Member

JK-NY

Well-known Member

Richard G.

Well-known Member

Similar threads