“Another 100 years” begins with planks and nails
After a storm nearly a year ago, the 6573 Rock Creek Road barn resembled a pile of rubble. But today, it’s a solid and beautiful structure that could easily last another 100 years.
The extensive repair happened because of the hard work and donations of local residents and friends from outside the county.
“It’s just beautiful to come around that bend and see the barn completed,” donor Susan Suplee said.
The repair on the barn was completed with just $10 left over, organizer Tom Ewing said.
“It worked out because of team effort,” he said. “There were 18 different key people all coming together.”
To restore the barn, organizers including Tom Ewing and Mark Belongie raised $17,000. Local businesses donated $20,000 in lumber, Belongie said.
For Ewing, rebuilding the barn was deeply personal. As a child, his father’s farm went bankrupt.
“Dad explained to us what bankruptcy was. We lost everything,” he said. “So I felt that pain.”
Bringing back the old barn was his way to save a history for other people, he said.
For drivers admiring Gilmer’s fall colors, the barn is a picturesque addition to stunning views along Rock Creek Road.
It’s also an impressive piece of engineering work, according to the carpenters who repaired it.
“How it held everything together for over 100 years was amazing,” carpenter Travis Davenport said.
Along with fellow carpenters Jerry Norton and Nathan Ensley, he worked to repair the structure.
The barn has a foundation of piled rocks, wooden hinges on its inside doors and no rebar. But even without modern technology, it’s well-built enough to last.
“No matter what it looks like, when you set your mind to it you can get it back,” Davenport said.
To many of those who built it, the barn is a symbol of life in Gilmer County.
“It represents rural heritage, community resilience and the timeless beauty of mountain life,” Belongie wrote of the structure on a GoFundMe page dedicated to its repair.