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Linden Farm Barn Restoration

Near Dickerson, Maryland

The Linden Farm, owned by Montgomery County, MD, is leased to the Sugarloaf Citizens Association for use as a Historic Agricultural Center.  The site comprises four barns, which by the end of the 20th century had fallen into various states of disrepair. 

FHTC was contracted to perform repairs on the following:

The first owner of the farm, a Mr. White, built the bank barn in the last decade of the 19th century.  Repairs to this barn including lifting the 89-foot x 47-foot barn off its foundation and replacing all the bottom sills and several of the top plates and “side trees”;  replacing numerous timbers – some measuring more than 26 feet long; removing and salvaging all exterior siding and replacing deteriorated material with new siding milled at our own sawmill; and installing a new galvanized steel standing seam metal roof.  The restoration of this barn alone required more than 18,000 board feet of timber and boards.

Mr. White also constructed a corn crib on the property which subsequent owners expanded into a machine shed with an addition.  We replaced the timber sills and vaious framing members, installed a new foundation and new siding over most of the structure, and gave it a new standings seam galvanized roof.

After the Great Depression the farm went through a period of growth including the constuction of a 28 foot x 90 foot long loafing shed attached at a right angle to the original bank barn.  Neglect all but erased that building and only about 1/3 of it was still standing by the time we began repairs.  We reconstructed the collapsed framing and supplied and installed all new floor joists, flooring, siding, and roofing.  This loafing shed accounted for most of the balance of the 26,000 board feet of timber and lumber that went into the Linden Farm restoration work.

Another mid-20th century construction was the gothic style dairy barn.  Constructed of nailed-together laminated arches, it is said to be one of only three such barns still standing in this country.  We performed various structural repairs, including replacing major sections of some of the arches, repairing roofing and flashing to stop water infiltration from destroying this historic landmark, and coating the entire roof with an elasotmeric paint to extend it's life by decades.

Click on images below to view at larger size.


During Beginning Demolition and Stabalization Phase, View From Barnyard

During Beginning Demolition and Stabalization Phase, View From Barnyard
View of Barn Bridge Before the Start of Construction

View of Barn Bridge Before the Start of Construction
New Sills and Siding On the Bank Barn

New Sills and Siding On the Bank Barn
New Partition 4 Sills Installed in Bank Barn

New Partition 4 Sills Installed in Bank Barn
Cribbing and Lifting Posts at Partition 4 of the Bank Barn

Cribbing and Lifting Posts at Partition 4 of the Bank Barn
New Barn Bridge Wall Siding -- Roof Coming Off

New Barn Bridge Wall Siding -- Roof Coming Off
Bank Barn Framing And Roof Repairs In Progress

Bank Barn Framing And Roof Repairs In Progress
New Partition Plate in Bank Barn

New Partition Plate in Bank Barn
New Galvanized Standing Seam Roof Going Onto Bank Barn

New Galvanized Standing Seam Roof Going Onto Bank Barn
New and Old Framing Against the New Siding of the Bank Barn

New and Old Framing Against the New Siding of the Bank Barn
Completed View From Barn Bridge

Completed View From Barn Bridge
Loafing Shed Remains, Prior to Construction

Loafing Shed Remains, Prior to Construction
The Loafing Shed, Debris Removed

The Loafing Shed, Debris Removed
Loafing Shed During Construction Showing Over 30 New Trusses and Siding

Loafing Shed During Construction Showing Over 30 New Trusses and Siding
Barnyard View of Bank Barn And Loafing Shed Repairs In Progress

Barnyard View of Bank Barn And Loafing Shed Repairs In Progress
Interior View of Loafing Shed Framing Repairs

Interior View of Loafing Shed Framing Repairs
Loafing Shed Interior View

Loafing Shed Interior View
Loafing Shed Complete With New Roof

Loafing Shed Complete With New Roof
Loafing Shed and Bank Barn After Restoration

Loafing Shed and Bank Barn After Restoration
Fresh Paint On Bank Barn

Fresh Paint On Bank Barn
A Fresh Coat of Paint Finishes The Bank Barn and Loafing Shed

A Fresh Coat of Paint Finishes The Bank Barn and Loafing Shed
Corn Crib -- New Roof Begun

Corn Crib -- New Roof Begun
New Siding Interior View of Corn Crib

New Siding Interior View of Corn Crib
Corn Crib Roof Nearly Complete -- Forming Ridge Seam

Corn Crib Roof Nearly Complete -- Forming Ridge Seam
Historic Gothic Dairy Barn

Historic Gothic Dairy Barn
Historic Gothic Dairy Barn After Repairs

Historic Gothic Dairy Barn After Repairs