Reclaimed

BELLEVUE — Renegade Reclaim, a barn reclamation company from Upper Sandusky, is spending a couple weeks dismantling a unique barn locally. Owner Eric Miller said the structure at 6374 CR 113 probably is one of the most interesting barns they've taken apart because of the way it was built. He said the barn is German-style and German-built. "It's a unique, huge barn," Miller said. "There's not many left like it. The timber is massive and it is white oak, which is rare for the area." Eric's father, Bobby Miller, 70, said the barn was built in 1890. Bobby said it has 12-foot louvers, window shutters with horizontal slats angled to let light and air in, longer than he has ever seen. Bobby said he never sees those and taking them out requires two guys because they are heavy. "The barn is unique because it has wood that people can't get anymore," he said. Bobby said the foundation of the barn is at least 16-inches thick and while they have done bigger barns, he said it was big for a bank barn, a barn built into a hill that has a basement. Any wood more than 6-inches wide can be taken, and he said it is filled with beams that are beautiful and big. "It has huge sleepers instead of joists, which are what hold up the floor," Bobby said. "The sleepers are worth more money. The size of them means everything in a barn." Bobby said when reclaiming a barn, they take everything they can get out of the structure, but it often depends on the quality of the wood. He said while there is some pine, the barn "has a lot going on for it" because there is a lot of oak. He said it is to take about 10 days to dismantle the barn. "It normally takes us four days, but this one has such good, unique wood we don't want to destroy it," he said. Eric said the timber all has been sold and is going to be re-erected into a new structure. Wood that isn't used for a structure generally is used for flooring or trim packages, he said. Eric said he thought the barn should be recognized because those are the types of buildings that founded the country and they deserve to be respected. He said it looks cool and is "just a phenomenal barn." "The barn speaks for itself," Eric said. "I'm partial to the barn because it is a big piece of history and it should be respected for what it is."