A historic barn in Bolton was picked up this week and moved onto a new foundation, father back from the road. The East Barn, as it is called, is owned by the and is part of . The East Barn is one of three barns on the park's 460 acre farmstead. The barn is also depicted on the Bolton town seal.
The department is considering selling the farmstead, including a farmhouse and the barn complex. However, regardless of who eventually owns the barn, Mike Fraysier, the department's director of state lands administration, says it鈥檚 important that some preliminary stabilization measures be undertaken now, so the barn may be put to productive use in the future.
鈥淩egardless of whether the Department elects to include the barns as a part of the sale parcel or chooses to retain the barns in State ownership, the Department recognizes the historic significance of this barn and its importance to the Town of Bolton and felt it was important to undertake some stabilization measures now so that the barn is not lost,鈥� said Fraysier.
Before being moved to its new foundation, the barn was jacked up, rotten posts and horizontal beams repaired or replaced, and new sills installed.
鈥淎 major reason this barn was in such tough shape was due to its location immediately off the Duxbury Road,鈥漵aid contractor Eliot Lothrop, of Building Heritage. Over the years, the road bed has been built up against the wall of the barn, resulting in substantial rotting of support posts. The barn was slid on steel rails to its new foundation today.
The barn stabilization efforts are expected to be completed in November.
