Throwback Thursday: Goodbye old barn

Shop for Halloween at Amazon.com

june 02, 2007

The Swenson barn on Whittemore Hill in New Ipswich, NH had fallen into disrepair after over 200 years. Family and friends gathered for a demolition party and to say goodbye to an old  friend and landmark.

The barn had plenty of ventilation and light. At this point the flooring had buckled and was unsafe.

Demolition crew discusses the best approach to this project.

Walker Magrauth (wearing hard hat) discusses best strategy to take the barn down safely.

At this point there was not much holding up the barn, yet it remained intact.

The plan was to attach a chain to a corner post and pull, the barn was supposed to collapse. Instead it shifted and remained intact.

The second attempt was a bit more hazardous. The fact that the barn stayed intact for so long is a testament to post and beam construction.

Success!

With a cloud of dust and a number of escaping bats, the barn falls.

Lynda Swenson grills some burgers as the dust settles behind her. We were there to help pick up the mess but spent the time eating and socializing. Walker used equipment to do the cleanup.

Lenny Swenson with my family.

John and Angelika Weber with their son Parker.

Walker picks up the pieces. With the barn gone, there is a nice view of the field.