Each stall will have it's own turn out area and Dutch door.  Plenty of light and nice flooring for each stall will create a comfortable environment for horses and humans alike.

The Decision

Once the plan was decided on, we set about getting a cost nailed down.  Man!  What an undertaking!  All the big barn builders wanted an arm and a leg.  The local barn building crews either didn't have time or didn't get back to us at all.  We decided to do it ourselves.

The Progress

Site Prep

We started the site preparation in November 2005 by removing the sod and top soil from the construction area and digging the trenches.  Notice Doug's Groundbreaking Ceremony shovel complete with baling twine "ribbon" in the first picture.

Next the holes were drilled for the posts. 

Soon thereafter, the weather turned cold and wet so Doug and crew started fabricating the laminated beams that go together with brackets from Socket Systems.

     Setting Up Forms

Pouring Concrete Piers

The concrete arrives.

The first pour.

The brackets are set in concrete.

Fill Dirt and Gravel

It took 70 dump truck loads of fill dirt to level out the building site.

Raising the Barn

We decided to have a barn raising the last weekend of April 2006 and invited practically everyone we knew.  About a dozen of the thirty some folks we invited started rolling in around 6:00 am on Saturday morning.  We had doughnuts and coffee for all.

A huge Thank You to everyone who helped us out.  We couldn't have done it without you!

Pictured Left to Right:  Front Row-Diann Rausch, Lori Noll and Ben Noll  Second Row-Clyde Looney, Steve Looney, Alan Trainer, Doug Rausch, Ron Rittenhouse and David Boggs  Third Row-Kelly Russell, Bob Boggs, Randy Nixon, Rodney Collier  Fourth Row-Art Looney  Fifth Row-Don Williams

Not Pictured:  Mom Looney, Mom Rausch, Brianna Noll, Greg Noll, Linda Augustus, Sandy Boggs, Danielle Noll, Michelle, Teresa, Brad, Chelsey Trainer, Vicey Looney, Gary Shonkwiler, Rene Shonkwiler, Heath Rausch

After a team meeting we got started on the building around 7:00 am.  There was a lot of head scratching and figuring things out at first.  We had a plan soon, though.

The beams had to be assembled into bents that would be raised up one by one.

Before long the first bent was on it's way up into an upright position.

Everyone kept busy and worked well together.

Ready to lift the first one!

Here we go!  The truck is connected to the bent with tow straps and the gin pole is in place.  Everyone holds their breath but it goes up without a hitch!  WooHoo!

Almost straight up!

Ready with the bracing.

The first bent is up and braced!  We did it!

The hog for the evening meal was prepared by Skip and Roxy Mills (Hog-A-Roastin') of Mechanicsburg (937-834-3298).

The rest of the bents went up pretty quick once we got a system down.

Half of the bents are up!

Doug and his "right hand man" Alan share a moment as David admires the finished product.

All eight bents are up!!!!

The hog's ready!  Let's eat!

Clyde, Don and Mom get a plate full.

  Art digs in.

Purlins and Girts

The Girts and Purlins are going up a little at a time as our schedule and the weather permit.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Finally!  All the purlins are up and some of the metal trim!

The roof is on!

The first siding goes up!

The windows are in.

The joists for the first floor are almost in!

The subfloor is down and some of the walls are up as the bathtub waits to be installed.

The last of the siding going up!

The stairs are in and the interior walls are up

The first drywall goes up The Stove goes in

The cabinets go up

Building the loft railing

The loft railing is done

Over 900 blocks and the foyer is done

The stair rail goes up