What was once a crumbling eyesore, overgrown with weeds and marred by decades of neglect, has been lovingly restored into a stunning example of 19th-century craftsmanship — a labor of love for Jerry Holum.
“Well, I enjoy challenges. It was challenging, but I found it rewarding,” he said.
His 40-foot-by-80-foot barn — named the “Cadillac of barns” by some experts — is part of the John Wagner Family Farmstead in Hellertown, Pa., and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. It dates to 1849 and is recognized for its well-preserved 19th-century architecture, featuring the bank barn, a brick farmhouse and seven outbuildings…