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| Historic barn damaged by storm |
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| News - Spring Hill | |||
| Written by Chase Jordan | |||
| Wednesday, 01 July 2009 07:00 | |||
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Richard Newton lost more than a little sleep when awakening to his daughter Cheryl Franseen screaming about the barn flying. Newton of Spring Hill, who lives on 223rd Street, four miles west of U.S. 169 highway, said the winds that ripped through Spring Hill on June 23 tore apart a landmark in the process. A peg barn on Newton’s property, built in 1892 and listed on the Kansas historical registry, suffered extensive roof, wall and other structural damage during the wind storm.  Cheryl was up watching television about 10:28 p.m. when the wind came rolling in, and something outside the window caught her attention. “I was watching the news and saw the old barn coming,” she said. “I yelled at dad, the barn was coming.” Come it did. Right towards her looking through the window. Wood and tin from the roof was blown more than 100 feet from the barn, landing within just a few feet of Newton’s home. “You can tell the historical society they lost another old barn,” Newton said. Wind is one of the culprits that is starting to dwindle down the number of those old barns that are still standing today, Newton said. “I thought that old barn would outlive me, but it didn’t,” he said. “The wind was sure blowing that night. Someone was saying it was blowing from the southwest. I said, ‘bull, it was blowing from the northeast.’” The barn, which sits northeast of Newton’s home on the family property he has owned since 1958, was blown southwest, landing right beside his house, which was built in 1960. “The wind blew that roof more than 100 feet,” Newton said. Newton used the peg barn — named for the style in which it was built — for a number of things, including putting up some hay. “It was good hay,” he said. “Well, at least it used to be. I am not sure what it is like now.” The wind also knocked down a power line, causing Newton and his daughter to be without air conditioning for the night. The power company was quick in getting the electricity to the home restored, Newton said. “I sat outside in a chair that night,” he said. “I was up when the people from the power company came in the middle of the night and talked to them for a while.” Deputies from the Miami County Sheriff’s Office were also notified and placed caution tape around the structure until Newton could have it taken down. “It just left a mess all the way from the barn to the corner of the house,” Newton said. “Everyone says that is the advantage of living on a hill. But, I like it. In the winter, it is so clear, I can see the lights from Wellsville and Spring Hill.”
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