Create your Experience in Butler County!

During your time spent here, we hope you’ll get out and explore the 790 miles we call home. From rustic and rural,

to festive and friendly, experiences await visitors of all types. Scenic and serene parks offer just about any outdoor activity

you can think of, on water or land. Museums, art galleries, specialty shops, festivals, wineries, historic sites and golf

courses can be found around every turn. The four seasons bring delightful changes, so you’ll find something to fall in love with any time of the year. One of the best parts is – it’s easy to get here! The Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-79, I-80 and Routes 422, 19 and 8 all run through the county. So stop reading and plan

your Butler County getaway today!

Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau310 East Grandview Ave., Zelienople, PA 16063

866.856.8444www.VisitButlerCounty.com

092012

Wake Up Near the AnimalsDon’t have enough time to see all the barns in a day? Then spend the night and experience a Butler County farm stay. You’ll find cows, horses or alpacas waiting to greet you when you wake up.

D) Armstrong Farms: 724-352-2858E) Locust Brook Lodge: 724-283-8453 F) McMurray House: 724-794-8188 G) Sunrise Cabin and Stargazer B&B at

Sunset Hills Alpacas: 724-586-2412H) The Inn at Four Points Alpacas:

724-586-9677I) Heather Hill Inn: 724-538-5168

Stone Barn

Built in 1805, this is the oldest barn

in the region!

Most barns built in Butler County

are Pennsylvania Bank Barns. These barns were popular in the 19th century when German settlers began building them throughout the state.

Bank barns are normally built into the side of a hill, allowing for entry

on two separate levels. Animals are often boarded in the basement space

while the second level is used for feed and grain storage.

PLEASE REMEMBER

!

The Barns of Butler County

A Self-Guided Driving Trail

There’s nothing like a day in the country. The scent of freshly-cut hay, the sound of cows mooing in the pasture and the

sight of tractors planting tilled fields seem to transport us to a time when a leisurely Sunday afternoon drive defined "family entertainment."

We invite you to spend a day meandering along our scenic back roads to enjoy The Barns of Butler County. The 16 featured barns are tucked among our rolling hills in three different driving routes. So put the windows down, turn the radio up and forget about your e-mails for a while. Now is the time to enjoy an old-fashioned drive with no place to go except through the beautiful farmlands of Butler County.

Harmonist Ziegler-Wise Barn (2)303 Mercer Road, Harmony

Year Built: 1805Size: 50 x 73 ft.Unique Features: The region’s oldest barn

The Harmonist Ziegler-Wise Barn is home to the only surviving barn among the three communities established by the communal Harmony Society of German Lutheran Separatists. The barn was built in 1805 to shelter sheep and was modified in the 1850s. The silo, built of paving bricks, was added ca. 1950.

Harmony was the Harmony Society's first American home. The community’s 9,000 acres were bought by Abraham Ziegler in 1815 after the Harmonists moved to southwestern Indiana Territory. The farms were settled by several Ziegler children and other Mennonite families. Son David's farm included this barn and the adjacent house by the Connoquenessing Creek.

In the mid 1990s much of the farm was sold to developers. Historic Harmony bought the barn in 1999 to ensure its preservation as a museum annex. The $180,000 investment included the site's purchase, an architect's historic structure report and repairs including more than 2,000 new roof slates, new siding stained a histori-cally accurate red (probably the barn's third sheathing) and new electric service. The entire farm is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places by the

Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.

Drovers Inn Farm (3) 339 Mercer Road, Harmony

Year Built: 1835Size: 40 X 80 ft.Unique Features: Stone barn features four silos

Located just north of the town of Harmony, this property was included in Abraham Zeigler’s purchase of the community in 1815. Zeigler gave the farm to his daughter, Elizabeth, and her husband Aaron Schontz. The barn is constructed entirely of stone and features round date stones at each gable peak with the inscription: Aaron and Elizabeth Schontz.

Jacob Wise purchased the house and barn in 1886 and it remains in the Wise family today. For more than 100 years, the farm was operated as a modern dairy farm. In addition to the unique stone barn, the four silos, one of which is built within the barn, are also unusual. The first two, built in 1914 and 1918, were among the first silos in the area. They were made of tile and used to store winter feed for the dairy herd. About 100 years after the barn was built, an additional silo was constructed with used brick.

The lower level of the barn contained stalls for dairy cattle and horses that worked the surrounding farmland. Fifty dairy cattle were kept in individual stanchions and milked twice a day, producing as much as 300 gallons of milk daily. After tractors were introduced, a one story addition and another cement silo were added.

A large cistern was built into the wing opposite of the internal silo. It collected the rain water from the roof and used gravity to distribute water to each stall.

The History of Drovers InnThe inn/home on this farm was built by the Harmonist Society sometime around 1810. It may have been built as a shepherd’s home and then used as an inn for travelers. It was possibly the only frame house built by the Harmonists, with all others being brick.

Historical findings reveal that the upstairs was probably used as two large sleeping dormitories and the downstairs was a tavern. Double porches were built on both the front and back. A current restoration effort is underway to replace the front porches.

The inn became an overnight stop for drovers moving livestock from the north to Pittsburgh. The side yard and barn held many pens where cattle and other livestock were held overnight as the drovers slept in the inn, thus the name, Drovers Inn Farm.

From Our Fields to Your ForkWhile you’re out enjoying The Barns of Butler County, be sure to stop by our farm markets where you can take a taste of Butler County home with you. Our markets feature products grown and made right here in Butler County.

A) Butler Farm Market: 901 Evans City Rd. (Rt. 68), 724-486-2194

B) Harvest View Farm and Market: 143 Eagle Mill Rd., 724-282-8038

C) Harvest Valley Farms Market: 6003 Cunningham Rd. (Rt. 8) 724-898-FARM

Marburger Dairy Barn (7) 1506 Mars-Evans City Road, Evans City

Year Built: 1980 Unique Features: Visitors can meet the cows who reside in this barn

This barn is at least the third structure to be built on this site. The first barn remembered by the Marburger family caught on fire in 1912 when a threshing machine exploded.

The next barn was a large bank barn that housed horses the family bred and raised. By the end of the 1930s, the farm changed over to a dairy farm and the barn was enlarged in the ‘60s. Unfortunately, history repeated itself in 1979 when an electrical fire destroyed the structure, one of the largest dairy barns in Western Pennsylvania. Nearly all of the cattle survived the fire.

The present “free stall” barn was built in 1980 and features five silos that store feed. The barn is home to about 150 cows who are milked twice daily in a 12-cow milking parlor.

Since the barn was built, several structural changes have been made including opening up the walls which were originally solid. Dairy cows tend to give more milk when they are cool – just one example of how Marburger Farm is dedicated to improving milk production.

Powell Farm (1)9600 Goehring Road, Cranberry Township

Year Built: 1864Size: 36 x 90 ft.Unique Feature: Built with materials gathered from surrounding lands

This farm is easily recognizable by the white fence that surrounds the farmhouse and barnyards. The farm was purchased by the Powell family in 1945 and is currently used to raise 50 head of both dairy and beef cattle.

When the barn was built in 1864, foundation stones and timber found nearby were used. The barn is covered in pine siding and originally had a four-foot overhang and Dutch doors which were removed so a new wall could be built flush with the siding and new sliding doors could be installed.

A metal hay track and hay forks that were used to lift hay into the hay mow are still located inside the barn. A new white roof was installed in 2009 to reflect the heat and keep the barn cooler during the warm summer months.

Dairy Fact A typical

Pennsylvania cow will produce 7-10 gallons

of milk a day.

Silos can be constructed from

many materials including steel, concrete and even bricks.

Do you know of any other unusual barns in Butler County? If you know of a worthy barn we missed, let us know!

We would love to have your favorites for future editions. 866.856.8444 or Visitors@VisitButlerCounty.com

Need to

stretch your legs? The Harmonist Ziegler-Wise

Farm is the starting point for Harmony’s hiking and biking

trail. Succop Conservancy, home of the Maharg Barn,

also has a number of walking trails.

Forebay Where the

barn overshoots its foundation,

providing shelter for livestock.

Butler County Farm Facts*Number of Farms: Approximately 1,100

Average Number of Acres: 116Largest Valued Crop: Vegetables, melons and potatoes

(ranked 12th out of 67 PA counties) Biggest Crop: Oats for grain

(ranked 6th out of 67 PA counties)

* Source: US Department of Agriculture 2007 Census of Agriculture

Route 1Following Rt. 191. Powell Farm2. Harmonist Ziegler-Wise Barn3. Drover's Inn Farm4. Betsy's Barn5. Wimer Barn6. Miller Farm

Route 2Following Rt. 68 7. Marburger Dairy Barn 8. White Oak Farm 9. O'Planick Orchard 10. Sunnyview Farm

Route 3Following Rt. 811. Maharg Farm12. Fairfield Farm13. Four Points14. Sunset Hills15. Cotacachi Barn16. Love Barn

Many of the barns on this trail are on private property. Please keep your distance and be respectful.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

However, you are invited to arrange tours of these barns:11) The Maharg Farm at Succop Conservancy – Guests are welcome to

enjoy a tour of this barn. 724-586-2591

13) Four Points Alpacas 724-586-9677

14) Sunset Hills Farm Alpacas 724-586-2412

If you really like Alpacas, visit these farms not included on the Barn Tour:• Alpaca Palace, (102 Knottingham Ln., Butler) 724-787-6214• Old Point Alpaca Park, (340

Rattigan Rd., Chicora) 724-445-7712

• WestPark Alpacas, (1037 West Park Rd., Slippery Rock) 724-738-9380

Test Your KnowledgeOnce you become a Butler County barn aficionado, take our quiz at www.VisitButlerCounty.com. If you miss two or less questions, we’ll send you a Barn Trail sticker!

We want to see your smiling face – upload your picture with your favorite Barn Trail barn to our Facebook page! facebook.com/visitbutlercounty

Create your Experience in Butler County!

During your time spent here, we hope you’ll get out and explore the 790 miles we call home. From rustic and rural,

to festive and friendly, experiences await visitors of all types. Scenic and serene parks offer just about any outdoor activity

you can think of, on water or land. Museums, art galleries, specialty shops, festivals, wineries, historic sites and golf

courses can be found around every turn. The four seasons bring delightful changes, so you’ll find something to fall in love with any time of the year. One of the best parts is – it’s easy to get here! The Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-79, I-80 and Routes 422, 19 and 8 all run through the county. So stop reading and plan

your Butler County getaway today!

Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau310 East Grandview Ave., Zelienople, PA 16063

866.856.8444www.VisitButlerCounty.com

092012

Wake Up Near the AnimalsDon’t have enough time to see all the barns in a day? Then spend the night and experience a Butler County farm stay. You’ll find cows, horses or alpacas waiting to greet you when you wake up.

D) Armstrong Farms: 724-352-2858E) Locust Brook Lodge: 724-283-8453 F) McMurray House: 724-794-8188 G) Sunrise Cabin and Stargazer B&B at

Sunset Hills Alpacas: 724-586-2412H) The Inn at Four Points Alpacas:

724-586-9677I) Heather Hill Inn: 724-538-5168

Stone Barn

Built in 1805, this

is the oldest barn

in the region!

Most barns built in Butler County

are Pennsylvania Bank Barns. These barns were popular in the 19th century when German settlers began building them throughout the state.

Bank barns are normally built into the side of a hill, allowing for entry

on two separate levels. Animals are often boarded in the basement space

while the second level is used for feed and grain storage.

PLEASE REMEMBER

!

The Barns of Butler County

A Self-Guided Driving Trail

There’s nothing like a day in the country. The scent of freshly-cut hay, the sound of cows mooing in the pasture and the

sight of tractors planting tilled fields seem to transport us to a time when a leisurely Sunday afternoon drive defined "family entertainment."

We invite you to spend a day meandering along our scenic back roads to enjoy The Barns of Butler County. The 16 featured barns are tucked among our rolling hills in three different driving routes. So put the windows down, turn the radio up and forget about your e-mails for a while. Now is the time to enjoy an old-fashioned drive with no place to go except through the beautiful farmlands of Butler County.

Harmonist Ziegler-Wise Barn (2)303 Mercer Road, Harmony

Year Built: 1805Size: 50 x 73 ft.Unique Features: The region’s oldest barn

The Harmonist Ziegler-Wise Barn is home to the only surviving barn among the three communities established by the communal Harmony Society of German Lutheran Separatists. The barn was built in 1805 to shelter sheep and was modified in the 1850s. The silo, built of paving bricks, was added ca. 1950.

Harmony was the Harmony Society's first American home. The community’s 9,000 acres were bought by Abraham Ziegler in 1815 after the Harmonists moved to southwestern Indiana Territory. The farms were settled by several Ziegler children and other Mennonite families. Son David's farm included this barn and the adjacent house by the Connoquenessing Creek.

In the mid 1990s much of the farm was sold to developers. Historic Harmony bought the barn in 1999 to ensure its preservation as a museum annex. The $180,000 investment included the site's purchase, an architect's historic structure report and repairs including more than 2,000 new roof slates, new siding stained a histori-cally accurate red (probably the barn's third sheathing) and new electric service. The entire farm is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places by the

Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.

Drovers Inn Farm (3) 339 Mercer Road, Harmony

Year Built: 1835Size: 40 X 80 ft.Unique Features: Stone barn features four silos

Located just north of the town of Harmony, this property was included in Abraham Zeigler’s purchase of the community in 1815. Zeigler gave the farm to his daughter, Elizabeth, and her husband Aaron Schontz. The barn is constructed entirely of stone and features round date stones at each gable peak with the inscription: Aaron and Elizabeth Schontz.

Jacob Wise purchased the house and barn in 1886 and it remains in the Wise family today. For more than 100 years, the farm was operated as a modern dairy farm. In addition to the unique stone barn, the four silos, one of which is built within the barn, are also unusual. The first two, built in 1914 and 1918, were among the first silos in the area. They were made of tile and used to store winter feed for the dairy herd. About 100 years after the barn was built, an additional silo was constructed with used brick.

The lower level of the barn contained stalls for dairy cattle and horses that worked the surrounding farmland. Fifty dairy cattle were kept in individual stanchions and milked twice a day, producing as much as 300 gallons of milk daily. After tractors were introduced, a one story addition and another cement silo were added.

A large cistern was built into the wing opposite of the internal silo. It collected the rain water from the roof and used gravity to distribute water to each stall.

The History of Drovers InnThe inn/home on this farm was built by the Harmonist Society sometime around 1810. It may have been built as a shepherd’s home and then used as an inn for travelers. It was possibly the only frame house built by the Harmonists, with all others being brick.

Historical findings reveal that the upstairs was probably used as two large sleeping dormitories and the downstairs was a tavern. Double porches were built on both the front and back. A current restoration effort is underway to replace the front porches.

The inn became an overnight stop for drovers moving livestock from the north to Pittsburgh. The side yard and barn held many pens where cattle and other livestock were held overnight as the drovers slept in the inn, thus the name, Drovers Inn Farm.

From Our Fields to Your ForkWhile you’re out enjoying The Barns of Butler County, be sure to stop by our farm markets where you can take a taste of Butler County home with you. Our markets feature products grown and made right here in Butler County.

A) Butler Farm Market: 901 Evans City Rd. (Rt. 68), 724-486-2194

B) Harvest View Farm and Market: 143 Eagle Mill Rd., 724-282-8038

C) Harvest Valley Farms Market: 6003 Cunningham Rd. (Rt. 8) 724-898-FARM

Marburger Dairy Barn (7) 1506 Mars-Evans City Road, Evans City

Year Built: 1980 Unique Features: Visitors can meet the cows who reside in this barn

This barn is at least the third structure to be built on this site. The first barn remembered by the Marburger family caught on fire in 1912 when a threshing machine exploded.

The next barn was a large bank barn that housed horses the family bred and raised. By the end of the 1930s, the farm changed over to a dairy farm and the barn was enlarged in the ‘60s. Unfortunately, history repeated itself in 1979 when an electrical fire destroyed the structure, one of the largest dairy barns in Western Pennsylvania. Nearly all of the cattle survived the fire.

The present “free stall” barn was built in 1980 and features five silos that store feed. The barn is home to about 150 cows who are milked twice daily in a 12-cow milking parlor.

Since the barn was built, several structural changes have been made including opening up the walls which were originally solid. Dairy cows tend to give more milk when they are cool – just one example of how Marburger Farm is dedicated to improving milk production.

Powell Farm (1)9600 Goehring Road, Cranberry Township

Year Built: 1864Size: 36 x 90 ft.Unique Feature: Built with materials gathered from surrounding lands

This farm is easily recognizable by the white fence that surrounds the farmhouse and barnyards. The farm was purchased by the Powell family in 1945 and is currently used to raise 50 head of both dairy and beef cattle.

When the barn was built in 1864, foundation stones and timber found nearby were used. The barn is covered in pine siding and originally had a four-foot overhang and Dutch doors which were removed so a new wall could be built flush with the siding and new sliding doors could be installed.

A metal hay track and hay forks that were used to lift hay into the hay mow are still located inside the barn. A new white roof was installed in 2009 to reflect the heat and keep the barn cooler during the warm summer months.

Dairy Fact A typical

Pennsylvania cow will produce 7-10 gallons

of milk a day.

Silos can be constructed from

many materials including steel, concrete and even bricks.

Do you know of any other unusual barns in Butler County? If you know of a worthy barn we missed, let us know!

We would love to have your favorites for future editions. 866.856.8444 or Visitors@VisitButlerCounty.com

Need to

stretch your legs? The Harmonist Ziegler-Wise

Farm is the starting point for Harmony’s hiking and biking

trail. Succop Conservancy, home of the Maharg Barn,

also has a number of walking trails.

Forebay Where the

barn overshoots its foundation,

providing shelter for livestock.

Butler County Farm Facts*Number of Farms: Approximately 1,100

Average Number of Acres: 116Largest Valued Crop: Vegetables, melons and potatoes

(ranked 12th out of 67 PA counties) Biggest Crop: Oats for grain

(ranked 6th out of 67 PA counties)

* Source: US Department of Agriculture 2007 Census of Agriculture

Route 1Following Rt. 191. Powell Farm2. Harmonist Ziegler-Wise Barn3. Drover's Inn Farm4. Betsy's Barn5. Wimer Barn6. Miller Farm

Route 2Following Rt. 68 7. Marburger Dairy Barn 8. White Oak Farm 9. O'Planick Orchard 10. Sunnyview Farm

Route 3Following Rt. 811. Maharg Farm12. Fairfield Farm13. Four Points14. Sunset Hills15. Cotacachi Barn16. Love Barn

Many of the barns on this trail are on private property. Please keep your distance and be respectful.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

However, you are invited to arrange tours of these barns:11) The Maharg Farm at Succop Conservancy – Guests are welcome to

enjoy a tour of this barn. 724-586-2591

13) Four Points Alpacas 724-586-9677

14) Sunset Hills Farm Alpacas 724-586-2412

If you really like Alpacas, visit these farms not included on the Barn Tour:•Alpaca Palace, (102 Knottingham Ln., Butler) 724-787-6214•Old Point Alpaca Park, (340

Rattigan Rd., Chicora) 724-445-7712

•WestPark Alpacas, (1037 West Park Rd., Slippery Rock) 724-738-9380

Test Your KnowledgeOnce you become a Butler County barn aficionado, take our quiz at www.VisitButlerCounty.com. If you miss two or less questions, we’ll send you a Barn Trail sticker!

We want to see your smiling face – upload your picture with your favorite Barn Trail barn to our Facebook page! facebook.com/visitbutlercounty

Hay CarrierUsed to move loads

of hay from a wagon into the barn, the carriers traveled

along tracks (wood beams that were replaced by steel rails in

the 1890s). A pulley raised and lowered the load

of hay.

John Love bank barn–built after the Civil War

The barn and crias (baby alpacas) at Four Points Alpacas

This is a type of farming technique

where a farmer alternates strips of

closely sown crops like hay, wheat, or other small grains with strips of row

crops, such as corn and soybeans.

Strip FarmingSince 1834

, five generations of

the Wimer

family have lived on

this farm.

Three cupolas grace the top of the barn, as do louvered ventilation panels.

Plowing at Sunnyview!

Photo by: Ron Lutz II

Fairfield Farm (12)725 Three Degree Road, Butler

Year Built: 1914Size: 40 x 70 ft.Unique Feature: A water-collecting cistern and three distinctive cupolas

One of the county’s most beautiful barns is adorned with three cupolas across the roofline. While the cupolas at Fairfield Farm provide ventilation for the building, they also add architectural detail that makes this barn memorable.

The lower level was designed for dairy purposes. It features individual stanchions for dairy cows, a tracked manure carrier and windows that can be opened on the east and south sides for ventilation.

Since this bank barn is located on a piece of flat land, the builder actually constructed a dirt “bank” to provide access to the second level. Located behind the large doors visible from the road, the second level includes a threshing floor and granary. It also has mows on each end and a loft over the main floor to store hay and straw. Several vents in the siding (painted brown) also provide ventilation.

Beneath the peak of the roof is a track and hay carrier which was used to lift and carry loose hay or straw for storage (before balers and elevators).

An unusual feature of the barn is a cistern built into the bank. Gutters collect rain water from the roof and downspouts carry the water to the cistern. A valve on the lower level allows the water to flow directly into a trough to give the cows a drink.

The Maharg Farm at Succop Conservancy (11)

185 West Airport Road, Butler

Year Built: 1883 Size: 64 x 40 ft.

Unique Feature: The barn is home to an 1870’s era hay wagon that was totally restored in 2008

In 1805, an Irish immigrant named John Maharg became one of the first residents of Penn

Township. Soon after his arrival, he built a cabin and most likely a small barn. By 1830, the Maharg family had prospered

sufficiently to build a brick farm house.

The older barn was dismantled and re-worked into the barn that now stands. The barn’s reconstruction

is visible because the older hand hewn beams are mixed in with newer circular saw cut timbers.

The foundation is made of cut sandstone. At one time, all four walls were covered in shingles, preserving the original pine beneath it. A low silo was situated on the northwest corner of the barn, but was later removed. The basement boasts concrete floors and a plastered ceiling, both required for the dairy operations that it housed. The track along the roof ridge where hay forks would unload cattle fodder can still be seen, and the milking stanchions and granary are still in place.

The property, currently owned by the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, was donated by Tom and Joann Succop in 2001.

During 2009, the barn enjoyed some major renovations at the hands of an Amish work crew. The moldering shingles were stripped off and the whole outside painted red. Once the shingle material was off, the date, written in black, could clearly be seen on the south wall. It reads “BUILT A.D. 1883.” New batten was attached and the louvers were painted white. The cupolas were removed, taken to a workshop for restoration and replaced in November 2009. New gutters and door hardware rounded out the exterior restoration.

The Barn at Sunnyview Farm (10) 107 Sunnyview Circle, Butler

Sunnyview Farm was donated to Butler County by the Doerr Family. The farm includes a bank barn built on a foundation covered with stone on three sides. It is a post and beam construction with a pine exterior and slate roof.

Today the barn is used to store county equipment. The bridge crew keeps building forms and materials, and the facilities and operations departments store vehicles and equipment.

The landscape surrounding the barn has changed through the years. The county-owned Sunnyview Nursing Home is nearby along with a complex housing several county agencies. One of the groups is the Butler County Conservation District that coordinates 100 community garden plots. County residents are offered the free 35' x 40' plots each year to grow their own vegetables.

The Western PA Draft Horse, Mule and Pony Assoc. hosts an Annual Plow Day on a Saturday in mid-April to prepare the land for planting. Teams of draft horses demonstrate how fields were plowed before the invention of the tractor. Curious spectators are invited to try their own hand at plowing.

Wimer Barn (5) 552 West Park Road, Portersville

Year Built: 1893Size: 56 x 40 ft.Unique Feature: 12-14” wide planks nailed together to form the beams and framework in the barn, a method not commonly used

The farm was originally a dairy farm with 120 acres. It has since grown to 200 acres, farmed only for grain.

The barn was built in 1893, with the year still faintly visible through layers of cream, grey and red paint that have coated the exterior over the years. It has a forebay that is covered by two additions and features a silo made from bricks delivered by the Western Allegheny Railroad to the Portersville station in the early 1900s.

Two granaries remain in their original state and some of the cow stanchions and calf pens can still be found in the barn, as well as the original hay fork used to lift hay from wagons into the hay mow.

Mr. Wimer chuckled while confessing that his grandfather kept a whiskey bottle hidden in the oats bin inside the granary. Apparently his grandmother didn’t approve of having alcohol in the house so the bin was the perfect hiding place. That explains why the men always seemed to disappear to the barn during Sunday afternoon visits with relatives and friends!

This old photo to the right shows them filling the silo with corn. The silo has an old ladder that goes up the side. It was used to

put the pipe in the silo for the machine that blew the corn up into it. Mr. Wimer still has that ladder.

Cupolas Built for ventila-

tion, they add an at-tractive architectural element to a barn’s

roofline.

O’Planick’s Apple Orchard (9)250 Moose Road, Renfrew

Year Built: 2009Size: 40 x 50 ft.Unique Feature: The newest old bank barn in Butler County

This farm has been in the O’Planick Family since 1961. After the original 1800’s bank barn was set ablaze by an arsonist in March 2007, an old bank barn discovered in Cowanshannock Township, Armstrong County was

disassembled, moved to the farm and rebuilt by Amish men on the same site as the previous barn.

The replacement barn’s oak frame dates back to the 1800s, and is constructed of post and beam held together by wooden pegs. Hemlock boards cover the outside of the frame.

The barn has storage on three levels to accommodate equipment used for both apple production and

producing hay for livestock. The first

floor basement has walls made of cut

stones, one side access door and three large sliding front doors to allow livestock and equipment to enter. The back side of the barn provides access to three large bays on the top two stories.

Located behind the barn is the Miller Esker, a long, high ridge covered with grass that is recognized as the largest and best-preserved esker in Pennsylvania. The esker was formed millions of years ago

by a glacier that melted and left a line of sand, gravel and stones (called a moraine). Violet Miller, the owner of the farm from 1970 until recently, had the foresight to protect and preserve nearly

32 acres of an untouched portion of the esker and the wetlands behind it by selling the land to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. The Miller Esker is a half-mile long, 360-foot wide and 40-foot

high portion of this geological phenomenon that winds through northern Butler County.

White Oak Farm (8) 356 Old Route 68, Evans City

Year Built: 1905Size: 65 x 40 ft.Unique Feature: Hosted church services, a funeral, two baptisms, a wedding and two rock concerts

The barn at White Oak Farm was built using the frame of another barn originally located between Evans City and Zelienople. When the barn was rebuilt on its current site in 1905, the outside was covered with clapboard siding rather than the sheeting typically found on barns. While the siding provides the barn with a distinctive exterior, it does require frequent maintenance and is repainted every seven-to-eight years (always white with green trim).

In 1960, the owner purchased 20 springing heifers (pregnant cows) that were transport-ed to the farm from Michigan. Within two months, the calves were born and the farm transformed from a cattle farm into a dairy farm virtually overnight. The farm began bottling an average of 100 gallons of milk per day. A sales room was added to accommodate the business. In 1961, the milk was sold for 60 cents a gallon. The dairy herd was sold in 1973.

While the barn is now rented for storage, it has also served in some unusual capacities. In 1997 and 1998, the owner’s grandson staged two rock concerts in the barn. Between July and October 2001, the barn was the site of weekly services for St. John’s Evans City UCC Church while the building was being remodeled. A thank you plaque from the church’s pastor commemorates this unusual time and is prominently displayed inside the barn.

Betsy's Barn at Cheeseman Farm (4)147 Kennedy Road, Portersville

Year Built: 1999Size: 106 x 70 ft.Unique Feature: This barn is used for agritainment rather than agriculture

Betsy's Barn is a German-style bank barn built in 1999 on Cheeseman Farm. It is built on a poured concrete wall 10 inches thick. The original 40’ x 80’ barn is framed and sided in yellow poplar. In 2009, an addition nearly doubled the size of the barn.

Unlike most barns in Butler County, this structure was never used for livestock. The barn is rented for large events such as weddings, receptions and class reunions. It is most widely known as the site of Cheeseman's Pumpkin Festival and Cheeseman’s Fright Farm where thousands of people flock each autumn.

Miller Farm (6) 1153 West Liberty Road, Slippery Rock

Year Built: Late 1800sUnique Feature: The Miller Esker is located behind the barn

The centerpiece of the Miller Farm is a late 1800s barn used to house cattle. A straw shed was added in the 1930s to triple the size of the original structure and provide pens for cattle, as well as to store crops. A new roof, steel siding, rain gutters and windows were installed in 2009 by an Amish crew, and a cupola was added to replace the original one that was destroyed during a wind storm. The barn is part of a 200-acre farm that clearly demonstrates strip farming, with colorful strips of hay, corn, oats and soybeans.

The farm is currently owned by the granddaughter of the original owner, Brice S. Miller, who specialized in registered Holsteins. In the early 1900s, milk was transported from the farm to his brothers, owners of the Evergreen Dairy near Pittsburgh.

In addition to the barn, the buildings in use on the farm are original structures. The bricks for the house were made on the farm, and the spring house/granary has been maintained with the original cold water storage area. The water from the spring accommodated the needs of the house, barns and animals, and still supplies the house today.

Ag-events Butler County

is home to several agriculture-focused events

each year. Learn more at VisitButlerCounty.com

The Barn at Four Points (13)6187 Brown Road, Butler

Year Built: 1999Size: 4,800 sq. ft.

Unique Feature: Photos have been in publications, and documentaries in the US and Europe

The present owner designed this barn in 1998. After just two meetings with an Amish builder and a handshake to “seal the deal,” construction of this replica 1800’s style barn began in April 1999 and took just 11 days.

The defining signature of the barn is its working cupola. It sits atop the roof like a steeple and is used to draw the hot air out of the first floor of the barn’s interior. Measuring 12 feet in height, the cupola was constructed on the ground and was physically lifted, without the use of a crane, up to the peak of the roof.

The barn was originally built to house horses and today it is home to more than 35 alpacas. The barn can be seen from a distance on Valencia Road.

Sunset Hills Farm Alpacas Barn (14) 1120 Three Degree Road, Butler

Year Built: Early 1900sUnique Feature: Alpaca d'Moda boutique offers goods made from alpaca fiber

The roadside barn at Sunset Hills Farm Alpacas is more than 100 years old and is made from hemlock, one of the hardiest woods that withstands many changes in weather. The front of the barn features a silo that was originally used for corn. After housing cattle and horses, the structure was converted for alpacas in 1997. An addition in 2001 provided more space. Today, the lower level has stalls, feeding areas, a treatment room, and all the amenities it takes for the day-to-day operation of a biosecure livestock barn.

The upper level is also used for special events throughout the year, including seminars, National Alpaca Farm Day activities and fashion shows.

Cotacachi Barn (15) 204 Anderson Road, Butler

Year Built: 1800sSize: 66 x 30 ft.Unique Feature: The support beams and rafters are entire trees with bark

For generations, the Anderson family used the barn primarily for dairy cows. In the early 1900s, the barn was disassembled, moved approximately

100 feet to its current resting spot and rebuilt beam-by-beam. The original milk house is

still present and is easily viewed from the road. In the 1950s, the barn was idled when government subsidies were given for not farming.

After the absence of animals for nearly 30 years, new property

owners converted the barn to house quarter horses. The barn took on

a new look as well. It was painted white and topped with a green roof.

The upstairs remains original with soar-ing beams, rafters

and a working hay trolley. In 2008, new residents in the form of alpacas arrived. Today, this historic barn is used to raise alpacas and educate the public about these animals.

Love Barn at Fieldstone (16)

248 Westminster Road, Saxonburg

Year Built: 1865Size: 40 x 60 ft.Unique Feature: Now used as a site of weddings and receptions

Built by John Love following his return from service in the Civil War, this barn was typical of barns at that time with hand-hewn oak beams pinned together with wooden pegs. The original roof was replaced at least once previously. The original roof rafters made from five inch saplings were replaced in 2009. The floor joists are each made of oak from a single tree of sufficient size and strength to span the entire 40’ width of the barn with only minimal support. A wall of locally cut sandstone holds back the “bank” in the lower (livestock) level that is still used daily during winter calving season.

Today, this farm is owned by eighth generation descendants of James Love who immigrated from Ireland and settled on this farm in 1816. It is known as a popular wedding location for couples in the tri-state area.

www.VisitButlerCounty.com

Hay CarrierUsed to move loads

of hay from a wagon into the barn, the carriers traveled

along tracks (wood beams that were replaced by steel rails in

the 1890s). A pulley raised and lowered the load

of hay.

John Love bank barn–built after the Civil War

The barn and crias (baby alpacas) at Four Points Alpacas

This is a type of farming technique

where a farmer alternates strips of

closely sown crops like hay, wheat, or other small grains with strips of row

crops, such as corn and soybeans.

Strip FarmingSince 1834

, five generations of

the Wimer

family have lived on

this farm.

Three cupolas grace the top of the barn, as do louvered ventilation panels.

Plowing at Sunnyview!

Photo by: Ron Lutz II

Fairfield Farm (12)725 Three Degree Road, Butler

Year Built: 1914Size: 40 x 70 ft.Unique Feature: A water-collecting cistern and three distinctive cupolas

One of the county’s most beautiful barns is adorned with three cupolas across the roofline. While the cupolas at Fairfield Farm provide ventilation for the building, they also add architectural detail that makes this barn memorable.

The lower level was designed for dairy purposes. It features individual stanchions for dairy cows, a tracked manure carrier and windows that can be opened on the east and south sides for ventilation.

Since this bank barn is located on a piece of flat land, the builder actually constructed a dirt “bank” to provide access to the second level. Located behind the large doors visible from the road, the second level includes a threshing floor and granary. It also has mows on each end and a loft over the main floor to store hay and straw. Several vents in the siding (painted brown) also provide ventilation.

Beneath the peak of the roof is a track and hay carrier which was used to lift and carry loose hay or straw for storage (before balers and elevators).

An unusual feature of the barn is a cistern built into the bank. Gutters collect rain water from the roof and downspouts carry the water to the cistern. A valve on the lower level allows the water to flow directly into a trough to give the cows a drink.

The Maharg Farm at Succop Conservancy (11)

185 West Airport Road, Butler

Year Built: 1883 Size: 64 x 40 ft.

Unique Feature: The barn is home to an 1870’s era hay wagon that was totally restored in 2008

In 1805, an Irish immigrant named John Maharg became one of the first residents of Penn

Township. Soon after his arrival, he built a cabin and most likely a small barn. By 1830, the Maharg family had prospered

sufficiently to build a brick farm house.

The older barn was dismantled and re-worked into the barn that now stands. The barn’s reconstruction

is visible because the older hand hewn beams are mixed in with newer circular saw cut timbers.

The foundation is made of cut sandstone. At one time, all four walls were covered in shingles, preserving the original pine beneath it. A low silo was situated on the northwest corner of the barn, but was later removed. The basement boasts concrete floors and a plastered ceiling, both required for the dairy operations that it housed. The track along the roof ridge where hay forks would unload cattle fodder can still be seen, and the milking stanchions and granary are still in place.

The property, currently owned by the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, was donated by Tom and Joann Succop in 2001.

During 2009, the barn enjoyed some major renovations at the hands of an Amish work crew. The moldering shingles were stripped off and the whole outside painted red. Once the shingle material was off, the date, written in black, could clearly be seen on the south wall. It reads “BUILT A.D. 1883.” New batten was attached and the louvers were painted white. The cupolas were removed, taken to a workshop for restoration and replaced in November 2009. New gutters and door hardware rounded out the exterior restoration.

The Barn at Sunnyview Farm (10) 107 Sunnyview Circle, Butler

Sunnyview Farm was donated to Butler County by the Doerr Family. The farm includes a bank barn built on a foundation covered with stone on three sides. It is a post and beam construction with a pine exterior and slate roof.

Today the barn is used to store county equipment. The bridge crew keeps building forms and materials, and the facilities and operations departments store vehicles and equipment.

The landscape surrounding the barn has changed through the years. The county-owned Sunnyview Nursing Home is nearby along with a complex housing several county agencies. One of the groups is the Butler County Conservation District that coordinates 100 community garden plots. County residents are offered the free 35' x 40' plots each year to grow their own vegetables.

The Western PA Draft Horse, Mule and Pony Assoc. hosts an Annual Plow Day on a Saturday in mid-April to prepare the land for planting. Teams of draft horses demonstrate how fields were plowed before the invention of the tractor. Curious spectators are invited to try their own hand at plowing.

Wimer Barn (5) 552 West Park Road, Portersville

Year Built: 1893Size: 56 x 40 ft.Unique Feature: 12-14” wide planks nailed together to form the beams and framework in the barn, a method not commonly used

The farm was originally a dairy farm with 120 acres. It has since grown to 200 acres, farmed only for grain.

The barn was built in 1893, with the year still faintly visible through layers of cream, grey and red paint that have coated the exterior over the years. It has a forebay that is covered by two additions and features a silo made from bricks delivered by the Western Allegheny Railroad to the Portersville station in the early 1900s.

Two granaries remain in their original state and some of the cow stanchions and calf pens can still be found in the barn, as well as the original hay fork used to lift hay from wagons into the hay mow.

Mr. Wimer chuckled while confessing that his grandfather kept a whiskey bottle hidden in the oats bin inside the granary. Apparently his grandmother didn’t approve of having alcohol in the house so the bin was the perfect hiding place. That explains why the men always seemed to disappear to the barn during Sunday afternoon visits with relatives and friends!

This old photo to the right shows them filling the silo with corn. The silo has an old ladder that goes up the side. It was used to

put the pipe in the silo for the machine that blew the corn up into it. Mr. Wimer still has that ladder.

Cupolas Built for ventila-

tion, they add an at-tractive architectural element to a barn’s

roofline.

O’Planick’s Apple Orchard (9)250 Moose Road, Renfrew

Year Built: 2009Size: 40 x 50 ft.Unique Feature: The newest old bank barn in Butler County

This farm has been in the O’Planick Family since 1961. After the original 1800’s bank barn was set ablaze by an arsonist in March 2007, an old bank barn discovered in Cowanshannock Township, Armstrong County was

disassembled, moved to the farm and rebuilt by Amish men on the same site as the previous barn.

The replacement barn’s oak frame dates back to the 1800s, and is constructed of post and beam held together by wooden pegs. Hemlock boards cover the outside of the frame.

The barn has storage on three levels to accommodate equipment used for both apple production and

producing hay for livestock. The first

floor basement has walls made of cut

stones, one side access door and three large sliding front doors to allow livestock and equipment to enter. The back side of the barn provides access to three large bays on the top two stories.

Located behind the barn is the Miller Esker, a long, high ridge covered with grass that is recognized as the largest and best-preserved esker in Pennsylvania. The esker was formed millions of years ago

by a glacier that melted and left a line of sand, gravel and stones (called a moraine). Violet Miller, the owner of the farm from 1970 until recently, had the foresight to protect and preserve nearly

32 acres of an untouched portion of the esker and the wetlands behind it by selling the land to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. The Miller Esker is a half-mile long, 360-foot wide and 40-foot

high portion of this geological phenomenon that winds through northern Butler County.

White Oak Farm (8) 356 Old Route 68, Evans City

Year Built: 1905Size: 65 x 40 ft.Unique Feature: Hosted church services, a funeral, two baptisms, a wedding and two rock concerts

The barn at White Oak Farm was built using the frame of another barn originally located between Evans City and Zelienople. When the barn was rebuilt on its current site in 1905, the outside was covered with clapboard siding rather than the sheeting typically found on barns. While the siding provides the barn with a distinctive exterior, it does require frequent maintenance and is repainted every seven-to-eight years (always white with green trim).

In 1960, the owner purchased 20 springing heifers (pregnant cows) that were transport-ed to the farm from Michigan. Within two months, the calves were born and the farm transformed from a cattle farm into a dairy farm virtually overnight. The farm began bottling an average of 100 gallons of milk per day. A sales room was added to accommodate the business. In 1961, the milk was sold for 60 cents a gallon. The dairy herd was sold in 1973.

While the barn is now rented for storage, it has also served in some unusual capacities. In 1997 and 1998, the owner’s grandson staged two rock concerts in the barn. Between July and October 2001, the barn was the site of weekly services for St. John’s Evans City UCC Church while the building was being remodeled. A thank you plaque from the church’s pastor commemorates this unusual time and is prominently displayed inside the barn.

Betsy's Barn at Cheeseman Farm (4)147 Kennedy Road, Portersville

Year Built: 1999Size: 106 x 70 ft.Unique Feature: This barn is used for agritainment rather than agriculture

Betsy's Barn is a German-style bank barn built in 1999 on Cheeseman Farm. It is built on a poured concrete wall 10 inches thick. The original 40’ x 80’ barn is framed and sided in yellow poplar. In 2009, an addition nearly doubled the size of the barn.

Unlike most barns in Butler County, this structure was never used for livestock. The barn is rented for large events such as weddings, receptions and class reunions. It is most widely known as the site of Cheeseman's Pumpkin Festival and Cheeseman’s Fright Farm where thousands of people flock each autumn.

Miller Farm (6) 1153 West Liberty Road, Slippery Rock

Year Built: Late 1800sUnique Feature: The Miller Esker is located behind the barn

The centerpiece of the Miller Farm is a late 1800s barn used to house cattle. A straw shed was added in the 1930s to triple the size of the original structure and provide pens for cattle, as well as to store crops. A new roof, steel siding, rain gutters and windows were installed in 2009 by an Amish crew, and a cupola was added to replace the original one that was destroyed during a wind storm. The barn is part of a 200-acre farm that clearly demonstrates strip farming, with colorful strips of hay, corn, oats and soybeans.

The farm is currently owned by the granddaughter of the original owner, Brice S. Miller, who specialized in registered Holsteins. In the early 1900s, milk was transported from the farm to his brothers, owners of the Evergreen Dairy near Pittsburgh.

In addition to the barn, the buildings in use on the farm are original structures. The bricks for the house were made on the farm, and the spring house/granary has been maintained with the original cold water storage area. The water from the spring accommodated the needs of the house, barns and animals, and still supplies the house today.

Ag-events Butler County

is home to several agriculture-focused events

each year. Learn more at VisitButlerCounty.com

The Barn at Four Points (13)6187 Brown Road, Butler

Year Built: 1999Size: 4,800 sq. ft.

Unique Feature: Photos have been in publications, and documentaries in the US and Europe

The present owner designed this barn in 1998. After just two meetings with an Amish builder and a handshake to “seal the deal,” construction of this replica 1800’s style barn began in April 1999 and took just 11 days.

The defining signature of the barn is its working cupola. It sits atop the roof like a steeple and is used to draw the hot air out of the first floor of the barn’s interior. Measuring 12 feet in height, the cupola was constructed on the ground and was physically lifted, without the use of a crane, up to the peak of the roof.

The barn was originally built to house horses and today it is home to more than 35 alpacas. The barn can be seen from a distance on Valencia Road.

Sunset Hills Farm Alpacas Barn (14) 1120 Three Degree Road, Butler

Year Built: Early 1900sUnique Feature: Alpaca d'Moda boutique offers goods made from alpaca fiber

The roadside barn at Sunset Hills Farm Alpacas is more than 100 years old and is made from hemlock, one of the hardiest woods that withstands many changes in weather. The front of the barn features a silo that was originally used for corn. After housing cattle and horses, the structure was converted for alpacas in 1997. An addition in 2001 provided more space. Today, the lower level has stalls, feeding areas, a treatment room, and all the amenities it takes for the day-to-day operation of a biosecure livestock barn.

The upper level is also used for special events throughout the year, including seminars, National Alpaca Farm Day activities and fashion shows.

Cotacachi Barn (15) 204 Anderson Road, Butler

Year Built: 1800sSize: 66 x 30 ft.Unique Feature: The support beams and rafters are entire trees with bark

For generations, the Anderson family used the barn primarily for dairy cows. In the early 1900s, the barn was disassembled, moved approximately

100 feet to its current resting spot and rebuilt beam-by-beam. The original milk house is

still present and is easily viewed from the road. In the 1950s, the barn was idled when government subsidies were given for not farming.

After the absence of animals for nearly 30 years, new property

owners converted the barn to house quarter horses. The barn took on

a new look as well. It was painted white and topped with a green roof.

The upstairs remains original with soar-ing beams, rafters

and a working hay trolley. In 2008, new residents in the form of alpacas arrived. Today, this historic barn is used to raise alpacas and educate the public about these animals.

Love Barn at Fieldstone (16)

248 Westminster Road, Saxonburg

Year Built: 1865Size: 40 x 60 ft.Unique Feature: Now used as a site of weddings and receptions

Built by John Love following his return from service in the Civil War, this barn was typical of barns at that time with hand-hewn oak beams pinned together with wooden pegs. The original roof was replaced at least once previously. The original roof rafters made from five inch saplings were replaced in 2009. The floor joists are each made of oak from a single tree of sufficient size and strength to span the entire 40’ width of the barn with only minimal support. A wall of locally cut sandstone holds back the “bank” in the lower (livestock) level that is still used daily during winter calving season.

Today, this farm is owned by eighth generation descendants of James Love who immigrated from Ireland and settled on this farm in 1816. It is known as a popular wedding location for couples in the tri-state area.

www.VisitButlerCounty.com