WELLINGTON, Ohio — It’s been something of a landmark in rural Lorain County for generations. Now, a Wellington-area farmer is hoping for help to preserve an iconic barn for generations to come.
"I’m the third generation to farm here. We milked cows in this barn here, pretty much a full barn, until 2017,” said Patrick Twining.
His family’s Huntington Township farm has changed as the agricultural industry has evolved.
“Right now, I’m milking a whole one cow, but I get up to as much as six,” Twining laughed.
He said the old barn that once held a large herd of dairy cows and mounds of hay is now showing its age.
"So what we’re up to now is the haymow or hayloft as some people call it,” Twining said, pointing to leaning support beams and gaps revealing the sky outside. “It really brings it into perspective, the work that is ahead.”
Twining’s grandparents had the 1950s round-roof barn built when the previous structure was lost to a fire. The design, popular during the first half of the 20th century, is meant to maximize storage space.
The 110-foot-long building features a large quilt block from a previous drive-it-yourself Ohio barn tour. Twining said it’s a recognizable landmark in the rural community. But it needs extensive repairs.
"Getting this back to original structure is as tall an order as the barn stands,” he said.
Now the farmer has started an online fundraising campaign to help save the dilapidated structure. He estimates that work just to stabilize the roof could cost upwards of $50,000. The need for repairs comes as Twining said the agricultural industry is seeing increasingly slim margins.
"We’re all struggling. I just see it as a way of tapping into community support in a way that hopefully can help us and also maybe shine a light on the ag industry in general,” he said. “Community helping community, it’s an awesome thing.”
As of Thursday afternoon, the online fundraiser had collected just over $800. Twining said he’s also received in-person donations from neighbors.
He said he doesn’t others to finance a full repair of the old barn, but he’s grateful for any community support to help defray costs.
"It’s my hope that it truly is a community landmark that people driving up and down the road say, ‘Hey, we like seeing that barn…’ versus ‘Hey, that barn fell down. It’s not there anymore. We miss seeing it,” he said.
If you’d like to contribute to save the barn, you can find a link to donate here.
Catherine Ross is the Lorain County reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @CatherineRossTV, on Facebook CatherineRossTV or email her at Catherine.Ross@wews.com.
