NEW LIFE FOR OLD BARN
Couple save old building from demolition, move it to their place
With some planning, creativity, a little bit of patience, and a love of an antique barn, Ralph and Judith Baker, of Fitchburg, have put together a dream team to bring a vintage barn back to life.
This early 19th century (built in 1810) timber-framed barn, which stood on Jewell Hill Farm in Ashby, was slated for demolition before the Bakers stepped in a year ago to try and save it.
Jewell Hill Farm, located off Crocker Road, spans the towns of Ashby, Ashburnham and Fitchburg and had been owned and managed by the Crocker Family for more than 100 years.
“This barn stood for 200-plus years at Jewell Hill Farm, about 1.5 miles northwest of our house as the crow flies, with nothing but woods and fields in between the two places,” Ralph Baker said.
When The Trustees purchased the 296-acre Jewell Hill Farm in 2020 to conserve the land, they decided to demolish this barn because they didn’t need it.
“I asked them if they would consider having me dismantle the barn and restore it on an old stone barn foundation that was already located next to my house, where the former barn was taken down in the 1970s,” Baker said. “And happily they agreed.”
The Bakers’ love of nature contributed to the decision to restore the barn, adding to their property adorned with trails, flowers and the peaceful sounds of wildlife.
In addition to loving nature, Ralph Baker, a soil scientist, is chair of the Fitchburg Trail Stewards and the Climate Impact Committee at the Nashua River Watershed Association. He is a member of the Fitchburg Greenway Committee and Fitchburg Conservation Committee and board vice president of the Nashua River Watershed Association.
Judith Baker is an avid gardener and artist, both are hobbies of hers, “and she is superb at both of them,” Ralph Baker said with a smile.
Beginning about a year ago, the Bakers put together their barn restoration dream team and hired Tim Murphy of Colonial Barn Restoration Inc. of Bolton, to serve as their general contractor to dismantle the barn and restore it on their property.
They also hired Tim Hess of Studio Insitu Architects Inc. of Maynard; Murphy and his subcontractors (Germain and Sons Construction) for excavation, concrete and site work; Scott Richards, masonry; and Scott Wood of Timber Tek of Littleton, for framing and carpentry.
“They have all done such a great job,” Baker said. “Working with old barns requires a lot of skills that most builders are not familiar with. For Tim Murphy and Scott Wood, they are used to working with old barns, which have been their life’s work. They understand the history, know the techniques that the original framers used and have the specialized tools needed. They plan well, are very diligent, and love their work, and the results speak for themselves.”
On March 19, the Bakers, excited to share in the progress of their barn restoration, decided to host a celebration party as the cupola “fly-up” would be happening.
Cupolas were originally designed to provide ventilation under a roof, by creating a chimney effect for venting air and bacteria from the barn. This helped prevent tuberculosis and mastitis among other diseases/viruses that infected farm animals. They also can add natural light. They sit on the ridge of a roof and can be found in many shapes, including square, round and octagonal. On barns, they’re also meant to allow a continuous flow of air into the hayloft, helping to dry the hay.
“To us, the cupola ‘fly-up’, achieved by using a crane, was a topping-off celebration,” he said. “And it went really well, despite the rain that day.”
The crane, owned and operated by Steve Cavalier of Concord, arrived at 9:30 a.m., was set up and ready to go by 9:45 a.m., and the lift began at 10:15 a.m.
“Scott Wood of Timber Tek and his crew, John Hennessey and Joe Kennedy were so well prepared that the lift only took around five minutes.”
And the 3,500-pound timber-frame cupola, which is 8-feet by 8-feet, was in place and secured.
“The crane drove away at 10:30 a.m. and by around then there were just about 40 friends and neighbors touring the barn and sharing refreshments with us,” Baker said.
The Bakers are looking forward to the next steps in completing the restoration of the barn.
“They will be sheathing the walls and installing the windows, doors, loft, stairways and bringing in electricity,” said Baker. “There is also more masonry work to be done. We are planning completion this summer.”
Baker believes that restoring rather than destroying a historic structure is something that appeals to a lot of people.
“Most of the timbers came from huge trees that grew around here in the 1600s and 1700s, many of which were over 150 years old at the time they were cut,” he said. “You can’t obtain timbers like them anymore — they simply don’t exist anymore.”
The Bakers say they are delighted to own this incredibly beautiful building, a great example of colonial timber-frame construction, and one of a very few recent antique barn restorations in the area.
“My wife and I intend to mainly use the barn as a space a woodshop, our farm equipment, and for gatherings, meetings, music, and the like,” said Baker. “We feel that this barn completes our property and are thrilled to be able to give it a new home and at least another 200 years of life.”