Old Barn Makes Warm Inviting Farm Home

Old barn makes warm inviting farm home AG WORLD Ag World 10-1-19 Friday the 13th. An ominous date for almost everyone, but especially for Sylvia and Mark Dove. On that day 10 years ago, their farmhouse burned to the ground, leaving them and their 8 children homeless. But the Doves are a resourceful family, and they weren't about to let fire get the better of them. They just moved into their barn. "It certainly isn't your Better Homes and Gardens-type house," says Sylvia. "But it's made a good home. It's been a good place to raise our children." The fire came 3 years after the Doves made a 3-month trek across the U.S., looking for a place where their children could get a quality education, a place where "kids would feel good about themselves." They found what they were looking for on a Jackson, Mo. farm. Eighty acres, a nice farmhouse, and a 40-year-old barn just up the hill. A dream come true. Fire might have changed their dream a little, but it certainly didn't destroy it. Sylvia, with tape measure and notebook in hand, went to the barn. She drew up the plans and a local handyman did most of the work. Sylvia and Mark did insulation and wiring. Three months after the fire ù and after spending all their savings ù the Doves moved into their new home. On the bottom floor, cement was poured over pipes and gravel to give them a large area for laundry and play. An original shed for wood storage and a new garage are attached On the second floor is the kitchen and great room, a large area with earth tones. "We wanted to keep it rustic, keep it simple." The Doves used barn siding for the walls, and brick-looking flooring over the oak floor. The room is warm and inviting. Picture windows offer a spectacular view of the valley below. A wood stove sits by one wall, its flue channeled through a silo the Doves built onto the side of their house-barn. The silo looks original. The bedrooms ù just 3 altogether ù are on the third floor. The girls' room has 2 beds. The boys' room has 9 bunks against one wall, 3 high and 3 long. Along the opposite wall are storage shelves, color-coded to help the boys keep personal possessions separate. Next door is the master bedroom, and completing the floor are 2 bathrooms. And of course, there's a well-planned escape route in case of fire. The house-barn has worked fine, says Sylvia, but it hasn't been without problems. One slight inconvenience is that all the ceilings are only 7 feet tall. Also, the second-story floor slopes somewhat. The Doves have no regrets about making a home from an old barn with a tin roof. Says Sylvia: "It makes a lovely sound whenever it rains." For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mark and Sylvia Dove, Rt. 1, Jackson, Mo. 63755 (ph 314 833-6956). Reprinted with permission from the Missouri Ruralist.

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