OV barn restoration will reflect horse and buggy era

The Ocean View Historical Society has embarked on its latest project, the restoration of a 1900 barn that sits in the heart of town.

“This is so typical of barns of that era,” said Richard Nippes, president of the historical society board.

Restoration of the barn is the first phase of the latest Ocean View Historical Society project. The barn and an unrestored home are in close proximity to the historical society’s other projects — the restored and relocated Tunnell-West house, historic Ocean View post office and a replica of Cecile Steele’s Ocean View chicken house which, many believe, was the beginning of Delaware’s vibrant poultry industry.

Eventually, the house is slated to become the Coastal Towns Museum, serving Ocean View, Bethany Beach, Fenwick and other nearby communities.

“It will be fantastic if we can pull it off as a regional museum,” Nippes said.

All are in a complex in the heart of Ocean View that is open to visitors and tour groups.

Despite the cold weather, workers have been busy with the barn restoration this winter, which is estimated to cost about $10,000.

The barn is a simple wood structure with dirt floors and two sliding doors on the front and a smaller door on the side. The majority of the work this winter involves restoration of deteriorated wood — or replacement of elements that were not historically accurate, given the age of the structure.

Nippes said the barn was originally built with board and batten construction but was re-sided sometime in its 115-year life. The craftsmen working on the barn are restoring the board and batten siding with lumber that was supplied by a mill in Millsboro.

The lumber, though new, is milled according to historic specifications. In other words, a 2X4 is actually two by four inches — and not something smaller, as is the case with modern lumber.

The barn, sitting directly behind the house, has two stalls and Nippes said the structure probably housed a cow, horse and carriage along with feed and straw. Chickens may have been optional.

In 1918, the family bought its first car — a Buick — “so the horse and carriage went,” Nippes said.

The dilemma facing the historical society is: which era is the restoration going to reflect?

Nippes said they plan to make it consistent with the era when it was constructed. In other words, horse and buggy and not a 1918 Buick.

Nippes said they have been searching in Pennsylvania Amish country for a buggy that would be similar to that used by the family that lived in the Ocean View home at the beginning of the 20th century.

“The house and barn will accurately reflect the era,” Nippes said.