Barn Speaker Series (Sept. 19)

Sept. 19

Barn speaker series

The Discover Bath Barns Committee is co-sponsoring another installation of its speaker series with the Summit County Historical Society on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. at the Western Reserve Playhouse, 3326 Everett Rd.

Dr. Robert "Bob" Kroeger will speak on “Forgotten Old Barns: Relics of Our Past.” Rustic old barns sit alongside rural roads, mostly unnoticed and often in disrepair. But long ago they were the “money makers,” the wooden buildings that housed livestock, crops and even people in the early, formative years of our country.

Over 80% of Americans were involved in agriculture in 1800 and though the number has dropped, farming is still a billion-dollar industry in Ohio today.

But the old wooden barns, often expertly crafted and once a part of every farm, have outlived their usefulness. As they fade into the sunset, so do the stories of the hardships and joys that played a part of the lives of the early pioneers.

Kroeger, a Cincinnati award-winning author and artist, preserves the images of old barns in paintings and documents their stories in books. After telling barn stories for an hour, he will sign “Historic Barns of Ohio,” published in 2021, which features old barns in paintings and essays in each of Ohio’s 88 counties.

He will also sign “Round Barns of America,” which is the first book on round barns with a national scope. It includes 75 barns from 32 states, stretching from the East to the West Coast, including 11 barns in Ohio.

Both books will be available for purchase. He will also tell at least one story from his current project on stone barns.

The speaker series is meant to educate local residents on the importance of honoring agricultural traditions of the area, especially the barns used to support those endeavors. This event is free, but reservations are required. Visit bit.ly/Barns24?r=qr to register. ∞