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        For information contact: Carl Meiss, Public Relations Director  Ph: (717)-737-8855 or (800)-552-3865

Email: publicrelations@pagrange.org

May 23, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact:           Sheila Miller, President 610-589-5617

                        Historic Barn and Farm Foundation of PA

Click HERE for a printable Brochure

Click HERE for a printable Membership Form 

KUTZTOWN --- An historic event will take place next month, here at the Kutztown University, when the Historic Barn and Farm Foundation of Pennsylvania welcomes the National Barn Alliance and its members to Berks County for the organization’s annual conference.  For the first time, these two non-profit associations whose missions are to record and preserve historic barns across the nation, will unite their energies and efforts to educate and embrace enthusiasts of these agricultural icons of the architectural world.  From June 5-7, the conference welcomes anyone who cares about historic barns to participate in the first-time event in the Keystone State.

Kicking off on Thursday evening at the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center, located at Kutztown University, an informal reception will give conference attendees from across the country an opportunity to network and catch up on their favorite barn stories.  The following day will be an intense schedule of barn presentations at the Student Union Building, with keynote speaker Robert Ensminger presenting a special reflection on his years of research.  He is the author of the book, The Pennsylvania Barn.  Other speakers will be sharing their expertise on barn preservation, timber framing, foundation repairs, and renovation.  Lancaster County’s John High, the “Barn Saver,” will join Dr. Robert Barr, owner, to discuss plans to take down and relocate the historic Star Barn, located near Middletown.

“The Friday conference will be capped off with a very special tribute dinner, honoring three men who have devoted much of their lives to studying and writing about historic barns,” said Sheila Miller, president of the Historic Barn and Farm Foundation of PA.  “We are anxiously anticipating a visit by John Heyl who is a renowned architect who inspired many scholars after himself who documented the histories of barns.  Heyl, who has celebrated more than one hundred birthdays, will be traveling back to Pennsylvania from his adopted home in Maine to participate in this tribute dinner and share his stories.  He will be joined by retired Penn State professor Dr. Joseph Glass who followed Heyl in his research and academic work that inspired Kutztown University’s professor emeritus Robert Ensminger who is a well-known author and speaker.”

Miller noted that the conference will wrap up on Saturday, June 7^th, with a tour of historic barns in the Oley Valley.  “This area is a treasure trove of historic barns,” she boasted.  “I know everyone will be thrilled with the day-long trip, guided by Bob Ensminger and fellow Historic Barn and Farm Foundation of Pennsylvania directors, Greg Huber, Jim Lewars and Phil Pendleton.  This is an opportunity to hear first-hand from the most respected historic barn experts in the business.”

For more information and a registration brochure for the historic barn conference and bus tour, Miller encourages people to go to the Historic Barn and Farm Foundation of Pennsylvania’s website: www.pahistoricbarns.org.  Or, request a brochure by mail, by calling 610-589-5617 or e-mailing smiller@countyofberks.com 

Historic barns will be the topic of a national conference to be held at Kutztown University in June.  The event will be co-hosted by the Historic Barn and Farm Foundation of Pennsylvania and the National Barn Alliance.