The Ha’ Penny Barns restoration preserves two outstanding examples of a dwindling stock of eighteenth century, southeastern Pennsylvania pioneer farm structures. The Large Barn is a classic Sweitzer Bank Barn design and the Small Barn is a beautiful example of a Swiss log barn. The barns, even considering their adjustments facilitating adaptive reuse, continue to provide invaluable insight into the history of the lives of Pennsylvania German settlers. The iconic exterior simplicity masks the barns’ complex interior engineering, detailed workmanship, and advanced functionality.

The restoration work utilized milled larch timbers from the site and locally sourced white oak timbers and lumber in an effort to stay true to the spirit of the original construction. The interface of replacement mortise and tenon heavy timbers with that of existing 200-year-old members, was executed using hand tooled joinery, pegs, and dowels. Door hardware was either salvaged from abandon sites or handmade in neighboring Chester County.

Established in 1782, the large and small barn structures compliment a sophisticated farm house and collection of exemplary farmstead outbuildings in Oley Township. Typical of this type of working barn, the Large Barn had notably undergone evolutionary adjustments that were reactionary to changing farm technologies. Original German Liegender Stuhl trusses – (Dornbusch type of 1750 – 1850) – divide the upper level into four parts; hay mows at the east and west ends and a double central bay for manual threshing from a wagon bed. These very large, unique and aesthetically beautiful white oak trusses were subsequently cut and patched with added struts, queen posts, and tension cables to create a central opening in the framing, accommodating a continuous ridge hoist and trolley for the movement and storage of baled hay, (estimated to have occurred in late 1800s). The steeply pitched roof is indicative of early Sweitzer barns.

The design work set out to faithfully restore the historic barns while sensitively adapting their functions to 21st century rural life. Detailing focused attention on hand fabrication and local materials. In recognition of their educational potential, the Owners open the barns for programs connected with the Historical Society of Berks County.