The Hoff log barn, built when George Washington was president, has been moved to the Carroll County Farm Museum and will be ready for guided tours during Fall Harvest Days on October 2 and 3, according to Bob Jones, chairman of the project committee.
Donated to the museum by the late Marlin Hoff, a New Windsor dairy farmer, the two-story bank barn was built in 1792 by farmer Yost Greenwood out of 90 hand-cut and hewn logs.
According to Bob Jones, chairman of the project committee, more than 200 people have donated time, money and materials to the enterprise, which cost more than $400,000 to complete.
A sustaining fund is being established to provide for continuing education programs and maintenance of the barn.
Weather has been a difficult factor in moving ahead on completion. Huge snowstorms in February, held the project up for almost two months.
Volunteer leadership, said Jones, has been extraordinary over the length of the project. The Executive Committee includes Melvin Baile, Sr., Vice Chairman, Charlene Jones, Secretary, Caroline Babylon Treasurer, and the following Committee Chairs: David Roush, Technical Committee; Richard Blacksten, our log-building expert; Harry Conover, Grants Committee and also Past Chairman of the Carroll County Farm Museum Board of Governors; Kathy Hoff, Recognition Committee; Ned Cueman and Bob Jones, Fundraising Committee. Paul Hawkins, current Chair of the Carroll County Farm Museum board of governors, and Dottie Freeman, museum director, serve as ex officio members.
