Ellijay City Councilmembers were updated on possible future improvement work to a historic barn at Harrison Park during a workshop that preceded a Jan. 24 city council meeting
Linda Lancaster, of Friends of Harrison Park (FOHP), said the site’s Pinson Barn will be 100 next year.
“It’s a landmark for the park and also the City of Ellijay. It’s kind of a favorite photo op county wide. The Friends of Harrison Park really do think it’s important that we’re able to maintain the barn for purposes like this. We’ve been working real hard this last year to raise funds and identify contractors and architects that can help us move forward to preserve the barn,” Lancaster said.
Barbara Black, an Atlanta architect who’s been working with FOHP, also spoke to the council and summarized some of those plans.
Black said some of her previous projects have been at the fire tower at Fort Mountain State Park and the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area east of Atlanta.
“The essence of what we’re proposing is to stabilize the barn and secure it, both from potential vandals and keeping people out that shouldn’t be in there and critters,” Black said. “There are turkey vultures that have taken roost in it. There are eaves that are open and foundation that is open. It’s pretty easy for critters to get in there.”
Black said another area of focus would be looking at “the potential of what the barn could be. Members of FOHP have previously discussed using it as a park activity space.
Black said some of the areas needing work are the barn’s floor and doors, as well as its upper level hayloft.
“Much of it is original and untouched, so we don’t want to change the character of it,” she said. “It’s a little bit of a labor of love to get in there and work on it. Finding the right fit and somebody who has good experience to work on it, then executing this initial phase of work and laying the groundwork for future use — that’s the plan.”
Lancaster said the park friends have raised enough funds to secure Black’s contract and pay for a good bit of the anticipated work. Before going any further, they wanted to be sure the mayor and city council also want to see the barn preserved and rehabilitated, she noted. Lancaster also said FOHP would like to have the council’s approval on taking the lead on the project.
“I can’t speak for the council, but, personally, it needs work, and it is a landmark. It is part of the park, and I think it’s important,” said Mayor Al Hoyle.
Lancaster said lead remediation was done in 2020 for materials that had been stored in the barn and also around its outside perimeter. There will be a plan to assess and deal with any residual lead-based paint on the barn siding, she added.
Lancaster said restoring the barn has been a priority for FOHP for some time, and they’ll do whatever they can to work with the city on moving forward with the project.
Hoyle said the city and FOHP need to work it out to where both entities are comfortable with the project, and the city’s legal counsel first needs to review a memorandum of understanding from FOHP to make any recommendations and discuss challenges.
“I think certainly we could work something out,” Hoyle said.