Some history is preserved in wood and nails
To outsiders driving by, the barn in Cherry Log may look like a picturesque frame of aging boards.
But to Ronnie Herendon, it’s a standing reminder of the world he grew up in.
The barn, located at 6573 Rock Creek Road, has been there “from the time I was just a little boy all the way until I got grown,” he said. “It was an adventure place for me and my cousins. I’d go and watch my daddy milk cows.”
The barn was old even when he was a child, he said.
He recalled his grandfather, born in 1897, talking about playing there in his childhood.
“I’m sure it’s the same barn,” he said.
Today the barn is a small two-floored structure. Made of aged gray boards, it provides a place for mules to feed and horses to receive hoof care.
It’s one of just a few Gilmer barns that have passed 100 years in age.
Today though, its roof is missing, and some of its timbers lean at an angle.
“It’s sad to me, seeing it in that condition,” Herendon said.
On Aug. 16, Herendon, Tom Ewing and Mark Belongie plan to hire contractors to repair the barn so it can be around for the people of Gilmer County for many years to come.
“For that thing to be there that long, it had to be built good to start with,” Herendon said.
So far, they have raised more than $12,000 to restore the barn. They hope to reach $20,000 before starting work.
People can give to the cause by donating on https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-historic-rock-creek-road-barn or by sending checks to Save Historic Rock Creek Road Barn at P.O. Box 376, Cherry Log, Ga. 30522.
“If we get to $20,000, we should have all of the contingencies covered,” Belongie said.
If any money is left over when construction ends, the men will donate it to Keep Gilmer Beautiful.
The money will beautify the county either way, Belongie said.
Local business owners Jim DuPont and Charlie Sisson have donated materials to repair the barn.
Right now, the men are in the final stages of planning before contractors from Davenport LLC start work.
“It exemplifies the past,” Herendon said of the barn. “It’s really a landmark.”
For Belongie, the barn completes the view of the valley containing Rock Creek Road. When people see the view, they pull over “in awe,” he said.
“We want to keep that going for another 100 years,” Belongie said.