Arthur Barnard
The Shelbyville Republican
Tuesday June 3, 1947
Page 6 column 2
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CENTURY-OLD BARNARD FARM HOME
IS NEAR MORRISTOWN
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A step into the past can be made by any who enters the century-old farm house
of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur B. Barnard, in the northern part of Shelby County.
An abstract to the Barnard property in Hanover township shows that the
Barnard land was entered in 1830 and that 10 years later, Jacob Green
purchased 56 of the farm’s acres and an additional 112 acres in 1844.
The farm deed, executed on July 21, 1840, records the location in the
following manner: "The west half of the southwest quarter of section number
18, Township 14, north of range 8, containing 132 acres, more or less."
The
farm is located one and one-quarter miles southeast of Morristown and about
one-half mile south of U.S. Highway 52.
Deed to the farm was transferred by Jacob and Sarah Ann Green (parents
of Sallie A. Green Barnard) to Granville Barnard, on September 26, 1868.
An interesting stipulation to the deed was contained in the mortgage given in
return for it by Granville and Sallie Barnard. This states in part: "In
return for the deed to the farm. Granville and Sallie A. Barnard are to provide
comfortable sustenance for Jacob and Sarah Ann Green and all the necessities of
life for their natural lives, and to the survivor of them, and upon failure to
so provide at any time, the equity in redemption herein may be foreclosed."
Arthur B. Barnard is a grandson of original owner.
He and his wife, Monta
B. Barnard, bought the home from the other two heirs.
At the time the farm was purchased by Jacob Green the only building on it was
a log cabin. Mr. Green, who was a cabinet maker and carpenter by trade,
immediately began cutting timber to build a workshop and house, both of which
are now standing. The buildings are constructed of wood from yellow poplar
trees, which grew on the farm. The house is of colonial type and was built in
1846. It includes a recessed porch, center hall, and spacious rooms with 11 ½
foot ceilings.
The walls and ceilings of the living room are of yellow poplar.
The dining
room has dado walls finished in French blue and white trim. The antique hanging
lamp has been converted into an electric fixture.
The now-modern kitchen originally was a back porch.
The cabinets were made
from some of the original lumber of which the house is built. The cabinet tops
are constructed of single boards, two feet wide and one and one-half inches
thick. They now are covered with inlaid linoleum.
Well and utility room, adjacent to the kitchen, now has an electric pump and
pressure system, which supplies water for the modern bath room. A small room,
once a pantry, now houses the farm locker plant. The owners have attempted to
keep the furnishings in accord with the colonial-type house, while adding every
modern convenience.
Another interesting part of the old farm is the work shop, built by Jacob
Green more than 100 years ago. Joists were made from eight to 10 inch poplar
logs, scored on side for floor and ceiling. In this shop is the original
carpenter bench, 13 feet long. The top is four feet wide and is made from two
one-inch poplar boards. There is a wood vice on each side of the bench, at
opposite corners. The large tool chest, handmade from wild cherry, contains the
original tools used by Mr. Green.
Among the tools are a broad axe, foot adz, planes for making flooring, window
frames and sash and long wood screw clamps for making doors and all kinds of
frames. A three-inch pump auger with a long shaft for boring out wood pumps and
pump logs is among the tools. In the shop also hang an old ox yoke, used
extensively in an earlier day.
Mr. Barnard owns the old flax flail and reap hook used by his grandfather,
the candle molds and tar bucket. In the back yard hangs the old dinner bell,
which called the men from the fields. The dinner bell also was used to call for
help in case of a fire or an accident, in a day when telephones had not yet been
invented.
According to Mr. Barnard, his grandfather was the only cabinet maker in this
vicinity at the time, and constructed all of the coffins for the surrounding
community. He said his grandfather related that it was nor unusual in those
bygone days to see a man coming on horseback carrying a cornstalk which was the
measurement for a coffin.
The old family Bible, with the signature of Jacob Green, and the date 1825,
also is in Mr. Barnard’s possession. Other old articles include a number of
books, among which is a McGuffey fourth reader.
Still among other features of the interesting old farm is a large catalpa
tree which stands in a recess formed by three sides of the house and is four
feet in diameter.
Contributed by Barb Huff
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