The next Brown Bag Lunch program at the Marshall County Museum will be Friday, September 11 from 12-1. This month’s program features Carolyn Rahe, Marshall County resident and president of the Indiana Barn Foundation.
Rahe will discuss the importance of bringing awareness to the value of old barns and the need to protect them. As a child, Rahe’s strong rural heritage was formed while traveling to farms with her father who was a veterinarian. Drives through the countryside always included stops to photograph barns. When the barn from her childhood home was pictured in the book, “Barns of Indiana” (1997), the whole family took new pride in their family barn. While raising her own family in Bourbon, she soon realized that good intentions and a love of barns does not keep a roof intact or siding in place.
After reading an article about the loss of Indiana’s historic barns, Rahe had the idea of starting a nonprofit organization to help farmers finance the maintenance of their barns. She reached out to others who not only had experience in preservation, but also shared her passion for historic barns. In 2013 the Indiana Barn Foundation was formed.
Enjoy the presentation this Friday, September 11 and find out more about the Indiana Barn Foundation barn tour on Saturday, September 19. It is a motor tour showcasing vintage barns in the area. Nine out of the ten barns featured in the motor tour are Marshall County barns. Bring your sack lunch to the Museum and enjoy an entertaining and educational talk. For more information on the presentation, contact the Museum at 574-936-2306.
