It seemed everyone had their eyes on the white gambrel barn as it made its way from rural Ainsworth to Kalona proper on Feb. 25 and 26. While it was a bit muddy, temperatures spanned 38° to 50° -- …
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It seemed everyone had their eyes on the white gambrel barn as it made its way from rural Ainsworth to Kalona proper on Feb. 25 and 26. While it was a bit muddy, temperatures spanned 38° to 50° -- beautiful conditions compared to could have been this time of year.
Roads were closed and the barn traveled at a good clip for much of its journey – folks took video of the barn cruising at perhaps 25 mph north on Highway 1 until it reached the intersection with Highway 22. Once it turned east, however, movement stopped as each powerline was removed one by one so the barn could continue.
Townsfolk congregated from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday as the barn traveled the final distance past Casey’s to the Kalona Historical Village, where it was maneuvered into the site prepared for it. Schoolchildren watched, adults shivered in the wind, and professionals took a break from work to get their own photos of the spectacle.
So, can a 100-year-old barn be moved, intact, 17 miles across a county?
Yes. Yes, it can.
