BARN: Earlier in the month, we ran an editorial that mentioned the Star Barn in Middletown, an historic structure that was bought and saved by a collector.
Sally Costik, curator of Bradford Landmark Society, dropped us a line telling us she found it quite relevant.
“I wrote my Master’s thesis on the Star Barn when I attended Penn State’s Capital Campus, also in Middletown,” Sally said. “This was back in 1983; I spent many hours on research and exploring the barn complex, being careful to avoid the dairy cows that still were on the farm at the time.
“Formerly located along Route 283 outside of Harrisburg, it was built in 1877 by Col. John Motter. Farming and dairy operations ceased in 1986.
“It took years for someone to finally step up and save it. It even has a Facebook page of its own,” she said.
The barn was relocated, reconstructed, restored and preserved.
We looked up a bit of history on the barn.
“Its towering cupola, four dominant louvered star ventilators, 56-foot-long vaulted stone tunnel, and other rare architectural features made it a cut above the standard Pennsylvania bank barn. Its associated structures; namely, a carriage house/corn crib, hog barn, and chicken coop were also created in the Gothic Revival architectural style with rare features and transcending appointments,” a website for the barn reads.
“In 1986, dairy and farming operations at The Star Barn Complex ceased. In 1994, the 164-acre property was reduced to 3.68 acres which included the agricultural structures and barnyard. The Star Barn lost its economic function and faced challenges of encroaching development and the effects of a busy highway. This majestic landmark began to show signs of deterioration and neglect.
“In the summer of 2014, an inquiry was made about The Star Barn Complex by a couple who looked beyond the challenges of acquiring, moving, and restoring the structures and envisioned the potential. This couple, David and Tierney Abel, and their business, DAS Companies, Inc., purchased The Star Barn Complex in October, 2014.”
The barn was moved to Stone Gables Estate in Elizabethtown. And retained its registration on the National Register of Historic Places.
