SIDNEY — Robert Kroeger, of Cincinnati, created 17 Shelby County barn paintings to raise awareness for historic barn preservation in November 2021. He then donated them to the County Wide Historical Alliance as a fundraising opportunity. A 2023 calendar and note cards were created with the images of the paintings.
The Alliance has announced the paintings will be going up for auction online during the month of July.
Turtle Creek Township “Additions”
The owner Alan Fogt and his wife are the third generation to own the farm. The sawn timbers suggest a construction around 1900.
Another historical hint is that a second, smaller barn was added, probably due to the farmer’s increasing productivity. Later, he added a smaller extension, yet another sign of prosperity. Such additions onto old barns are found throughout Shelby County, a testament to its flat and fertile agricultural fields, ideal for raising crops. Formerly, the barn housed a herd of dairy cows but today its purpose is storage… and, of course, it serves to represent Turtle Creek Township on this county-wide calendar.
Paintings on display
The paintings have been on display at various community festivals and will be displayed at the Shelby County Fair at the end of July. The paintings will be located in the Bicentennial Traveling Museum that will be parked next to the Community Foundation Hall. The calendars and sets of 14 note cards will be available for sale for $15 each.
Each painting will be listed by lot number with a description. Opening bids will start at $50 and each subsequent bid will go up by $5. Bids can be made at TroyKies.hibid.com. There will be a total of 19 paintings auctioned off.
The auction will end on Friday, July 29, at 6:30 p.m. The winners of the bids are to pick up their paintings on Saturday, July 30, between 1 and 3 p.m. at the Traveling Museum inside the Shelby County Fairgrounds or arrange a pickup at a future time with the Shelby County Historical Society.
For more information, contact the Shelby County Historical Society, 937-498-1653 or [email protected].
