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Washington Evening Journal
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Maasdam Barns Historic Preservation Committee to celebrate 20th anniversary
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FAIRFIELD – Maasdam Barns in Fairfield is celebrating a milestone this year: the 20th anniversary of the historic preservation commission formed to save the barns.
A reception is planned for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25 at the barns, which will coincide with Jefferson County Conservation’s annual Trail Drive from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants are invited to drive their cars on the loop trail, not normally allowed except on special occasions like this, by starting at Whitham Woods and then following Cedar View Trail to the west across the Highway 34 bypass and eventually ending at Maasdam Barns for the reception, complete with refreshments.
Before the Maasdam Barns Historic Preservation Committee was formed, the barns and the property they sat on were in disrepair, nothing like the tourist attraction they are today. Ron Blair was chair of the Jefferson County Trails Council at the time, and remembers that the original plan for the loop trail was to cut right through the Maasdam Barns property, as was the original plan for the Highway 34 bypass.
“The more we looked, the more we felt the barns deserved their own autonomy,” he said. “They bore witness to the history of the draft horse, and we convinced the Iowa [Department of Transportation] to move the trail slightly north.”
The history of the draft horse Blair refers to are the award-winning draft horses raised and sold by J.G. Maasdam from 1910 until 1938. The three barns on the farmstead came to be known as Maasdam Barns.
Dick Reed was among the most influential people in rescuing the barns. Reed said that when he learned they were looking for a committee on Maasdam Barns, he saw that it was a “builder’s project” and that he could be of some use.
“I like hands on stuff,” he said. “We had to clear so much … you couldn’t even see the barns from the road.”
Reed was also key in arranging the moving of the house that is now a visitors center on the property. He said moving that house was a major undertaking, and that it actually belonged to his aunt, Mildred Bonnett, and was previously where the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center’s parking lot sits now. Not only did he have to convince his aunt to let them move the house, he also had to figure out the complicated logistics, since the house was too tall to move down Highway 1. In the end, they removed the roof from the house, though this proved to be a problem when it rained, forcing him to redo the drywall and other parts of the house.
Keith Shafer came out and identified all the unhealthy trees that needed to come out, and a team of people including Dick Reed, Dr. Larry Nash and others cut those trees down and chopped up others that had already fallen.
“That was before we got any grants,” Reed added. “It was just volunteers.”
Nash remembers how the barns looked back then, saying the property needed a little TLC.
“There were old fences down and weeds as high as your head,” he said. “There were even trees growing near the foundation of the barns.”
Dr. William Baumann recalls that Nash moved debris with a bulldozer, and he cut up the wood and put it in a pile. Then, because Baumann enjoyed using not just a chainsaw but also a paintbrush, got to work painting the barns. Charlie White put his woodworking skills to use rebuilding the barns’ windows. After seven years of hard work, the barns were ready to open to the public, and today the property has become of the jewels of Fairfield, hosting monthly programs.
Tony Webb, chair of the preservation committee, remarked, “We are proud of the last 20 years and look forward to a great future as we add exhibits, improve the grounds and welcome visitors to the community.”
Webb said it’s a pleasure being involved with the Maasdam Barns.
“There is much History and local Heritage on these grounds, Buildings and Exhibits,” he said. “It is a pleasure sharing our past with people from around our city, County, State and Country. The Maasdam Family was proud of their Farm and Horse Breeding Business. The Gorman family were great stewards and the Leather’s family continued that tradition as well. Mary Helen Leathers visits often and is very grateful of the Preservation Committee and the work that was done. Our current Committee is beholden to the Charter members of the Preservation Committee and always strive to further their mission. Their insight and visions to make this Venue a landmark and educational center for Southeast Iowa is always in our decisions as we evolve.”
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
