New Life For Old Silo

New life for old silo CROP STORAGE Silos (50) 15-5-19 An old concrete block silo has been trans-formed into a three-bedroom facility for overnight guests at the Bridge-Between, a Dominican retreat center for spiritual growth near Denmark, Wis. The 32-ft. tall, 12-ft. dia. silo contains three bedrooms with 8-ft. high ceilings. Access to the first floor bedroom is through the silo's remodeled feedroom. It contains a hallway, bathroom, and shower. Second and third floor bedrooms are accessed from a pair of stairways outside the silo. The stairways, equipped with Shaker-style spindle railings, are separated by a large treated wood deck. Each of the second and third floor bedrooms has a portable toilet that's installed inside the silo chute. The silo is topped by a new fiberglass and wood roof. "People come from all over the country to see it. They appreciate its uncluttered simplicity," says Sister Caroline Sullivan, coordinator of the retreat center. "As soon as you walk into any of the bedrooms you forget you're inside a silo because each bedroom is equipped with modem furniture and accessories. Overnight guests can use a toaster, crock pot, and hot plate in the hall-way inside the feed room or use a kitchen in a nearby farm house. We call the third floor bedroom the `tree tops' because it has a marvelous view of willow trees in a nearby marsh. The view at sunrise and sunset is often gorgeous. Guests can see in almost every direction from the second and third floor decks which overlook,a barn, llamas grazing in a pasture, and a stream. Glass doors leading into the second and third floor bedrooms let light in during the winter. "The silo and buildings were built in 1924. When we were given the property some people said it would be less expensive to tear all of the buildings down and start over from scratch. But the value of our retreat center is in restoring people, and to go along with that theme we also wanted to restore the land and buildings." Sister Caroline has lived at the retreat since September, 1987 after the farm was given to the religious order by an anonymous donor to provide guests of all faiths with a place "to be contemplative in action, bridging inner life and outer service." The silo project was paid for through monetary donations and some donated labor. Jerry DeMeuse of Green Bay, who builds homes, commercial and office buildings, was the general contractor. DeMeuse put a layer of gravel in the base of the silo covered by a 1-in. layer of styrofoam and a moisture barrier. He then poured 4 in. of concrete over the top. A cable was wrapped around the silo and tightened to help hold the structure together. Walls of the silo were studded with 2 by 4's to add insulation and then covered by wire mesh and white plaster. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, The Bridge-Between, 4471 Flaherty Dr., Den-mark, Wis. 54208 (ph 414 864-7230).

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