1879 Flumerfelt Barn

Cranberry Lake Farm Historic District

The restored Flumerfelt Barn at Cranberry Lake Farm

A Barn Worth Saving

The post-and-beam Flumerfelt Barn was completed in 1879 on property near Kern and Gunn Roads in Oakland Township. The barn was owned by John H. Flumerfelt, and interior boards still bear his signature and the date of construction.

In later years, the barn became part of the Peters farm and then Kern Nursery. By the early 2000s, redevelopment threatened the historic structure, creating an opportunity for the Oakland Township Historical Society to preserve it.

A Community Preservation Project In early 2004, OTHS was given the opportunity to dismantle the historic barn and move it to a new location. Cranberry Lake Farm Historic District was selected as its new home, returning a barn to an area where several agricultural structures had once stood.

Moving, Raising & Completing the Barn

The 26-foot by 36-foot Flumerfelt Barn had stood as part of the Peters farmstead near West Gunn and Kern Roads. When the site was scheduled for development, OTHS volunteers dismantled the entire barn in March 2004 and brought its timbers to Cranberry Lake Farm on West Predmore Road.

Repairs to the historic timbers, permits and permissions, fundraising, and construction of a new foundation continued through the summer. On August 21, 2004, a barnraising drew 62 volunteers to Cranberry Lake Farm. Together they raised the pegged, mortise-and-tenon timber frame using traditional methods involving ropes and pikes.

Construction was finished in November 2004. Electrical service and lighting were added afterward, completing the project and preparing the barn for community use.

Volunteers Form “1879”
If you look closely, a group of volunteers forms “1879” in this aerial photo.

Raising the Frame
A group of volunteers raises the first framing beams.

Frame Nearly Complete
The framing is almost complete.

The Barn Completed
What a sight! Volunteers made it possible.

Before & After

Before the Move
Flumerfelt Barn on Gunn Road, circa 2000

Flumerfelt Barn after relocation to Cranberry Lake Farm

After the Move
Flumerfelt Barn at Cranberry Lake Farm

Flumerfelt Barn Timeline

1879 — The post-and-beam barn is completed near Kern and Gunn Roads.

March 2004 — OTHS volunteers dismantle the entire barn before redevelopment of its original site and move its timbers to Cranberry Lake Farm.

Summer 2004 — Repairs, permissions, fundraising, and construction of a new foundation prepare the barn for reassembly.

August 21, 2004 — A barnraising draws 62 volunteers, who raise the timber frame at Cranberry Lake Farm using traditional ropes and pikes.

November 2004 — Construction is completed, followed by electrical service and lighting.

June 1, 2005 — An official commemoration is held and OTHS deeds the barn to Oakland Township.

The Barn Today

On June 1, 2005, the restored barn was officially commemorated and deeded to Oakland Township by the Oakland Township Historical Society.

The Flumerfelt Barn continues to stand at Cranberry Lake Farm as a product of community preservation and as a reminder of the township's nineteenth-century agricultural landscape.

From the time of its reconstruction, the barn was intended to serve the community through events, activities, displays, and storage for the Oakland Township Historical Society and the Oakland Township Parks and Recreation Commission.

Barn on the Move