On Saturday, Aug. 4, a story will be unveiled about a 110-year-old round barn near St. Michael that will be cut into seven pie-shaped pieces and transported 40 miles to a farm near Kingston and Kimball sometime this fall. A developer has purchased the land and wants the barn removed or it will be destroyed. When Linda and Richard Stewart of Minnetonka read about the pending destruction of the barn they decided to save and move it to their farm where they raise organic vegetables and herbs for Twin Cities restaurants. Friends of Minnesota Barns estimate there are 62 round barns in Minnesota, and this may be the first one that will be cut apart and moved. The Aug. 4 event is sponsored by the Friends of Minnesota Barns. The day’s events: 9:15 a.m. Ronald Linneman, co-owner of the farm, will give a brief history of the barn and farm; 9:30 a.m. Michael Kinsley, an architect from Golden Valley, will talk about the measurements and show the architectural drawings of the barn; 9:45 a.m. Rob Hutchinson, a structural Engineer with Innovative Structural Solutions from Albertville, will talk about how the barn will be taken apart and put back together; 10 a.m. Dan Lipinski of Lipinski Concrete of Albertville will talk about the new site and building the foundation; 10:15 a.m. Larry Stubbs of Stubbs Building Movers of Long Lake will tell how the barn will be transported (he’s moved other barns and was involved in moving the Schubert Theatre in Minneapolis); 10:30 a.m. Linda and Richard Stewart will talk about their interest in the barn and their farm which has vintage equipment and many primitive farm artifacts once used daily in farming operations. (the Stewarts plans to display farm implements and artifacts in the barn and use it for educational gatherings and tours). There are 10 barn preservation groups in the country, who are in the National Barn Alliance working to promote new uses for historic barns. Current Chair of the Friends of Minnesota Barns is Christina Harrison at (612) 870-9775. For more information, call Don Heinzman (763) 441-1656
