Talked my uncle out of clearing an old barn, and he thanked me later

My uncle was dead set on bulldozing the old Miller barn on his property in upstate New York. I told him about the abandoned places community here and how people actually travel to see stuff like that, and he agreed to let me post photos first. Turns out a local historian reached out and said it was a rare 1880s hay press barn, now he's talking about preserving it instead. Has anyone else ever convinced someone to leave a structure standing when they were about to tear it down?

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1 Comment

danielmartinez4h ago

It's funny how we're so quick to tear stuff down just because it's old or looks rough, but people will drive for hours to see the exact same thing somewhere else. I feel like this happens with houses, old gas stations, even those little stone walls people have in their backyards that used to be property lines from 200 years ago. We just don't realize the value in what's right in front of us until someone points it out. It's like my neighbor who ripped out all his 1930s slate walkway to pour concrete, then a year later I see him at a historical society auction bidding on old slate tiles.