Barns: Helmer Barn

Warren’s vision for the outdoor museum and the pre-industrial, rural way of life that it would portray naturally included a heavy emphasis on barns, and he diligently worked to secure a handful of surviving log structures for inclusion in the exhibition. Of particular interest is the Helmer barn, originally located in Bowling Green, Indiana. Detailed correspondences with the barn’s owner and Herman B Wells, Indiana University president, and Warren and Henry Glassie, who provided an estimate of value, are reproduced here.