The Dicks Barn

 

The Carolyn Dicks Barn

11000 Willow Road, Clinton MI

Built by C. Deloss Le Baron or William Reiser circa 1880

 

Carolyn Dicks was born on Willow Road and still makes her home “just down the road”.  She loves her farm and its “cathedral”, a beautiful, classic 3 bay barn featuring hand hewn timber framing, a raised field stone foundation and a strikingly tall white exterior.

In the last two decades of the 19th century, the Gambrel roofed barn emerged to provide farmers with much more hay storage space.  This barn began its life with a Gable roof and was subsequently retrofitted to Gambrel with the required hay trolley in order to pack it to the roof with hay.

Previously a dairy barn, today this barn is attached to a modern equestrian barn in order to maximize its effectiveness in housing horses, chickens, a donkey, two alpacas, ducks and other barnyard favorites while still providing adequate hay storage.

Many actions have taken place over the years in order for this piece of living history to stay in tip top condition.  These include:  tuck pointing the stone foundation, adding metal exterior walls, re-roofing with interlocking asphalt shingles, adding interior cables to provide side to side support, and adding concrete block to strategic areas of the foundation.

 

Interview Notes

The Carolyn Dicks Barn

11000 Willow Road, Clinton,  MI

Date of Interview:       9/2/2022

Interviewer:                 Mark and Susie Jenkins

Interviewee:                Carolyn Dicks

1.)  Plat Map Ownership Record  (Bridgewater Township Section 22)

1976    Larry Dicks – Carolyn’s husband

1970    Alfred C. Reiser

1967    Alfred C. Reiser

1915    William Reiser

1896    W. Reiser

1895    W. Reiser

1874    D. Le Baron

1864    D. Le Baron

1856    D. Le Baron – C. Deloss Le Baron was born in 1833 and died in 1902.  He was in Toledo when he died.  His father was judge B.O. Le Baron.  His wife was Pauline M. Wilson.          

2.)  Actions taken to maintain this beautiful barn

  • 2 cables have been added side to side to hold the barn square.
  • Tuck pointed stone foundation.
  • Replaced strategic foundation walls with concrete blocks.
  • Re walled exterior with metal.
  • Closed in and moved doors.
  • Re-roofed.

3.)  Features of the Historic Barn

  • Connected to a modern equestrian barn.
  • 2 Floors – the basement for animals and the main floor/mow for hay and grain storage.
  • Gable converted to Gambrel roof shape. The roof is self-supporting.
  • Vertical, metal siding painted white.
  • Hand hewn timbers in the basement and on all sides up to the roof. This indicates that this may be an 1800’s barn originally.
  • Carolyn thinks that the original gable barn was built in 1906 and then converted to a gambrel roofed barn in 1937. My research indicates that this barn is probably originally built in the late 1800’s and converted in the early 1900’s.
  • Willow Haven Farms is lettered in black on the road side of the barn.
  • Field stone foundation is raised on one side by a ramp with field stone edges. This allows for walk in access to the main floor on one side and walk in access to the basement on the other.
  • 3 bay barn with areas for hay, threshing, and straw/grain storage on the main floor.
  • Interlocking asphalt shingles. Only the lightning road cable remains.
  • Many windows provide excellent basement natural light.
  • Hay trolley and track are both intact.
  • Formerly a subsistence operation and a dairy barn.  The former owners had a wide variety of animals and crops.
  • Currently it is a working barn. The main floor is for hay storage while the basement allows chickens, cats, donkey, 2 alpacas, ducks, and others to come in for the winter.
  • Carolyn raises thoroughbred jumping horses.

4.)  Personal / Family Information

  • Steve Finkbeiner’s mom and Carolyn’s dad were siblings. Carolyn’s maiden name is Girbach.  She grew up on Willow road.
  • Carolyn is a musician and plays in church and with a civil war era band.
  • Carolyn refers to this barn as her “cathedral” where she feels most connected and inspired. It is very important and personal to her.
  • Carolyn and Larry bought the farm from Ann Seager (Alfred Reiser’s sister in 1971.
  • Corn and soybeans are farmed on the property by Carolyn’s son in law.