Born to raise barn

July 10, 2007

By JJ Harrier / Frontiersman

PALMER - How do you move an old 85-foot-long by 28-foot-wide barn? Throw a hoe-down, of course!

The Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry held a barn raising Saturday at the Breeden family farm in Palmer to make sure one of the few remaining colonist barns in the Mat-Su Valley will make its way to its final resting place at the museum, next to the remodeled cars and trains of a lost era. Volunteers showed up to help pack it up and say goodbye.

With the support came donations. Proceeds from the event will go to the costs of moving and stabilizing the building onto its new foundation and for much-needed restoration to give the building new life.

Built in 1935 as the Linn Farm Barn by newly relocated colonists, the Breeden Barn was one of hundreds of its kind. The massive structure was remodeled and later added on to, housing farm cows. As time went by, most of the colony barns fell to earthquakes, fire, age, and wear and tear, but the Breeden family barn has stood tall. After 70 years on their land, the Breedens have decided it is time to give the barn a much-needed facelift by donating it to the museum. Thus, the Breeden Barn Project was born.

The Breeden family bought their farm in 1957, the year Rick Breeden was born, and moved to the farm in 1958 from their homestead in the Huffman area of Anchorage. It's because of its history and ties to colonist times that the family wants to preserve this historic structure.

Although the family is selling the farm - &#8220It is just time,” Rick Breeden said. &#8220We are holding up progress.” - the land still holds many memories. It was home to the original Palmer Meat Packing Plant, and over the decades has been used for dairy farming and as a horse ranch.

This week, volunteers and construction staff begin the timely task of raising the barn's upper red half and moving the massive structure onto large steel beams to be driven by truck to the museum on the evening of July 14, where crews will begin working on the barn's new foundation and framing.

Dick Wilson, a MATI board member on hand to supervise the Barn Raising Festival, said community support to save the barn has been amazing.

&#8220There's very few of these barns left,” Wilson said. &#8220When the Breedens sold their land to allow a new subdivision in, they called us. It's been a wonderful experience saving this part of our history.”

Wilson and MATI manager Phillip Lockwood are not above begging for support of the barn move.

At Saturday's event, Wilson and Lockwood sported T-shirts reading &#8220Save Our Barn,” as country music blared in the background by local band Full Tilt. As the afternoon progressed, so did the rain as patrons ate barbecue favorites, stared up at the massive red barn and asked each other how mankind could possibly move something so immense.

On hand to support and save the barn was the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce, Whole Hog BBQ and local barn fans, including an antique ice-cream maker and a man-sized rooster.

&#8220We need every dime we can get,” Lockwood said. &#8220It's not just the move that we're trying to finance, but the restoration as well. We want to be able to use the facility one day for weddings, dances and other events, to make it a place for all to enjoy.”

The Breeden Barn will be moved in the late hours of July 14 to its new home at the Museum of Alaska and Transportation in Wasilla. To make a donation to assist in the restoration of the barn, contact the museum at 376-1211.

Frontiersman photographer Robert DeBerry contributed to this report.