Today begins the first step in the process of our remodel. Tom, Christopher and I are meeting the show producers for BarnWood Builders, from the DIY Network, at the barn that they are demolishing to repurposed into a pile of supplies for our home. The Barn is way back in the country taking us around 25 minutes to get to from the interstate of I-79 and the Jane Lew Exit. So the logistics of moving the lumber out is still in the works. But here she is in all of her 120 year old glory. This is her before photo. I am a little sad to see her go as I have passed by her so many times over the years but the other part of me is so EXCITED knowing that I will share in her future and will love her even more at home.
Kenchelo road barn before being torn down by the Barnwood Builders
The story behind her removal from the property is a common one. The home owner has passed away and the next generation of owners don’t want the barns and needs to remove them due to flooding and new uses for the pasture. As you can see the barn is in need of repair and in some cases dangerous to use. So to remove them solves lots of problems for the owing family and adds nicely to our new house.
When we visited the farm today the bottom land was still swampy. I was ankle-deep in standing water only feet from the shed on the right. This move will be very tricky… lots and lots of mud, gravel and hard work!
Here Tom and I walk down to get a closer look at the buildings and what we would find still in them or if they were empty of all history.
Tom walking to barn on Kenchelo
Tom looking at barn
If you look closely at the siding boards… some of them are massive. Tom and I are guessing 18 to 20 foot lengths, twenty inches in some cases wide. Only massive trees produce lumber of this size. In most cases these trees grow on the farms or near the farms where the barns stand. Tom says The boards look like white oak and are in wonderful condition for reuse. We are so lucky to keep some of this wonderful wood close to its home.
Sean, Barnwood Builders producer, and Tom talk equipment and timing and I just hunt around the old barn looking for lost treasures. I found a couple of things and that will eventually become part of my home decor. The team from BarnWood Builders will arrive tomorrow and some of the filming will begin at the site and if we are lucky the rain that the weather man predicted will some how pass by.
So I guess I better get things ready here before the crew shows up to do some filming here at the house for the “Before” Portion of this project. Here are some photos of the family room as we use it today… lots of white walls and brown. I cant wait to see what happens when we add the barn wood as paneling to the walls in this room. Then Tom and I will be replacing the carpet in the family room with slate tile on the floors and a new ceiling light fixture. We are making a Chandler out of canning jars. So much fun and so much work to do over the next 4 or 5 weeks.
Family room from the laundry room door
Family room from the front door
large front window at front of room
office portion of the family room
Wish us luck we could use it right about now… The national weather service in Charleston, WV already has flash flood warnings on the radar for tomorrow. So who knows what is going to happen over the next few days.
West Virginia Mountain Mama 
Good luck to you! This is very exciting. Can’t wait to see the progress.
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ME TOO! TiLLy
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Wishing you good luck and good weather. Those guys were wrong all winter, they can afford to be wrong now. I love that you are helping to save those boards.
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This is fascinating. I’ll be sticking around as I’m now very excited to see how your remodel turns out! And best of luck 🙂
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That is really exciting! They should come to Wisconsin- tons and tons of old barns here, and in my home area in northern Illinois. What a beautiful old barn. I wonder how it looked new?
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Pingback: Home Remodel # 2 Filming Barn Demolition with the Barnwood Builders at Jane Lew West Virginia. | West Virginia Mountain Mama
My family is looking fora 20 plus acre property to live on with our three generations and animals.I love the buildings that you find and restore. There is nothing more relaxing than to be intone of these buildings.
We seem to keep looking in central Tennessee , no more than an hour outside of Nashville. We want builders like you to put together a 10 stall barn. Any ideas?
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Lynnette, best of luck on your hunt for the farm life. As for Tom and I we are not contractors or builders at all… We are Do It Your Selfers. or DIY kinda folks. We just love to create and some times that means taking something old and making it into something new. I have not idea how to help you as we live about 10 hours away from Tennessee and the people I am getting the lumber from do not build houses or barns they just supply materials. They do have a website with buildings and materials for sale but they are not contractors and the last barn I had Tom and I built our selves out of a building we tore down, so I am thinking you need to contact stables in the area that you settle and learn who built them or what you like about them and then design something that works for you and find some a contractor to help out. Thanks for stopping and commenting. Jolynn
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Jolynn, I enjoyed reading of the barn demolition up Kincheloe (the correct spelling!). I grew up on the same road about a mile from that barn. My brother still lives in that area and knows quite a bit about the history of Kincheloe. You’d never guess driving through there now that at one time it was a thriving little community with a school, a store, a funeral home and an old mill all just down the road from that old barn. I was so excited to find out Barnwood Builders would be filming there! I can’t wait to see the new episode. I love that show and the fact that they are giving those old buildings new life.
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Mary sorry it took so long for me to reply. I hate to try and send a long message with my Kindle. Thank you for letting my family know more about the area it would be wonderful to know where those business were located. I think that a couple of places still stand even not in great shape. I am not from West Virginia but have been here almost 24 years and am still learning more everyday. I will be posting more about the Barnwood builders and they finish up the shooting at my home in June and will try to send out a link to those who do not have the DIY network… thanks for your comment and fallow! They mean the world to me. Jolynn
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I know my brother has some old pictures of the area that were given to him by some of the older folks who were born and raised on Kincheloe Creek. Part of the old mill is still standing. Where the store was next to the mill is just someone’s home now. You would have drove right by them on that road. Next time I’m down home I’ll see if I can get copies of those pictures for you. I don’t think the old school on that particular road is still standing. However, there were at least 3 schools that I know of up in that community years ago. My father bought a farm way out in the middle of no where because there was a school just over the hill. But wouldn’t you know, the year my older sister started to school (mid-60’s), they closed it down and started bussing the kids to West Milford! The neighborhood has changed a lot since then but we have a lot of great memories of growing up in the country. Wouldn’t trade it for anything!
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