SIDNEY — Do you think you have a unique and/or historic barn? Are you located within Shelby County? Then this story is just for you.
Representatives from each of the five historical societies within Shelby County met Aug. 4, 2021, at the Ross Historical Center to discuss a county wide project that would be ready by the end of 2022. Carol Carity (Anna District Historical Society), Anita Uetrecht and Greg Geis (Botkins Historical Society), Jim Rosengarten and Ken Gigandet (Fort Loramie Historical Association), Doug Ware (Jackson Center Community Historical Society), and Tilda Phlipot and Sharon Mohrbacher (Shelby County Historical Society) all weighed in their opinions on how best to proceed with the proposed project: a 2023 calendar featuring historic barns from throughout Shelby County.
After the Historic Barn Painting program hosted by the Shelby County Historical Society in April at the Senior Center, an idea was proposed to create a calendar featuring 12 historic barns from every corner of the county. After the Aug. 4 meeting, it was decided the best way to find the most unique and scenic barns was to inquire from the public. Therefore, the historical societies are asking members of the community to submit a photograph of their barn along with its address and a brief history to the Shelby County Historical Society to be considered for this project.
Submissions can be sent via email to [email protected] or by mail to P.O. Box 376, Sidney, OH 45365 by no later than Sept. 15, 2021. From the submissions, 12 barns will be chosen that best represent the historical and scenic aspects needed as well as location for the proposed project.
Artist Robert Kroeger, of Cincinnati, and author of “Historic Barns of Ohio” will then work his magic to create an original painting of each of the selected barns. Prints will then be turned into a calendar that will be ready for sale by Christmas of 2022. Each of the original paintings will then be auctioned off and the proceeds will go to the County Wide Historical Alliance Inc. and be available for each of the five historical societies in Shelby County to use.
