Blogs

Discover stories, insights, and technical know-how from barn owners, preservationists, and OBP experts dedicated to keeping Ontario’s barns standing tall.

All things Ontario Barns

Barn Songs

Love the nostalgic feeling you get when you see old barns or think back to your memories. Here are some song that spur that same feeling! Enjoy this playlist on these last summer evenings! See our...

Durham Barn

There are many untold stories about barns in Ontario as the history of those buildings and people who knew about them fade away but there are clues left behind. This barn, in Grey County, three...

Barns Used to Have Communities Around them

BarnsUsed to Have Communities Jon Radojkovic, Chesley Here’s a nice standard 135 year-old timber frame barn where the 100 acres of land was taken out of the crown in 1868 for $50...

We are excited to announce that Ontario Barn Preservation has received their not-for-profit status as of March 30, 2019! We are also excited to announce that we have elected our board of directors and...

Welcome to Ontario Barn Preservation

I’ve been involved with repairing, writing about, photographing, moving and admiring heritage barns for three decades or more. I never tire of going into a new barn I haven’t seen before because each...

Adaptive Reuse

Old heritage barns absolutely don’t need to remain abandoned or collapse silently from long-term structural decay. Across Ontario, heritage barns are being transformed into event spaces, artist...

Preservation Challenges

Ontario’s climate and time are relentless adversaries to wooden barns. Constant exposure to moisture causes rot in floor joists and sill beams, while freeze-thaw cycles crack foundations and warp...

Timber Framing 101

Built from massive hand-hewn beams and assembled like wooden puzzles, Ontario’s timber-frame barns are icons of rural architecture. Unlike modern framing methods, timber framing relies on large...

Joinery Techniques

Ontario’s historic barns are architectural marvels built without nails or screws, relying instead on time-tested joinery methods passed down through generations. At the heart of these structures lies...

Fading Craftsmanship

Ontario’s historic barns are masterpieces of craftsmanship, constructed without nails or modern tools. Skilled carpenters relied on mortise-and-tenon joinery, wooden pegs, and hand-hewn beams to...

Cultural Pillars

Ontario’s enduring timber-frame barns were architectural and agricultural landmarks; crafted with care, history, and purpose. Weddings, community gatherings, and seasonal festivals often took place in...

Heritage at Risk

Across Ontario, centuries-old barns are vanishing; taking rural history with them. Factors like urban sprawl, neglect, and rising property values have placed immense pressure on landowners to replace...