Barn Restoration & Barns for Sale
Barn Restoration
Aledo Illinois Barn Restoration
Trillium Dell Timberworks dismantled, restored, and re-erected this c. 1870 barn multipurpose barn onto a new bank foundation at a new location. The barn was an early “scientific barn”, one which was influenced primarily by emerging agricultural technologies of the day. Indeed, the first owner of this barn, a Connecticut native and whaler, assumed a post at University of Illinois’ newly formed agricultural extension soon after establishing his new homestead in Illinois. The frame sports 12”x12”x30’ corner posts made of Wisconsin white pine. The timbers have shipping holes, supporting the historical record that these timbers were picked up from the nearby town of Andalusia along the banks of the Mississippi River. The interior beneath the hipped roof is 42’ clearspan, supported by an impressive octagonal boss pin. The joinery is that of a master craftsman. Interestingly, the unusual rubic’s cube – like joinery requires all the walls to be stood up at once and pulled together, unlike the much simpler, traditional bent-by-bent raising afforded by standard joinery. The imaginative joinery displays a masterful grasp of timberframing, and is likely the reason this building remained standing despite severe water damage and neglect. The barn was finished with a standing seam roof, cupola (replicated from an historic photograph), and antique hardware and doors.
Below: Prior to restoration - note sagging wagon entry and lean-to.
Below left: An impressive 42’ clear span interior shown beyond the dilapidated wagon entry. Below right: This finely crafted octagonal boss pin still supported the central roof despite years of neglect and water damage, a testimony to master craftsmanship.
Restored lower frame restored and re-erected. Below left: This picture shows replacement girts, joists, and two scarf-joined lower posts. Double scarf joint used to join replacement section of rafter plate to existing
Boss pin is lifted to allow hips to be dropped into place, below left. Interior showing 20’ sidewalls (atop 10’ basement walls not shown) and hip roof with supporting boss pin, below right.
Frame comepleted and night shot of the boss pin, below.
Willoughby Heritage Farm Restorations - Collinsville, IL
Trillium Dell has completed three restoration projects for the Collinsville Area Recreation District's Willoughby Heritage Farm & Conservation Reserve.
Carl Schultze Memorial Pavilion - 2010
Trillium Dell utilized recycled timbers from a dismantled barn in Moro, IL to construct the open-air memorial pavilion at Willoughby Farm. The Collinsville Sunrise Kiwanis Club funds for the pavilion.
Pictured above left to right: bent 1 goes up, fitting up, finishing touches on the carving, pavilion complete.
Gindler Barn Restoration - 2008
The Gindler barn, dating to pre-Civil War years, was repaired and restored at its new site, Willoughby Heritage Farm & Conservation Reserve. A collaborative effort among volunteers, members of the Timber Framers Guild, and Trillium Dell Timberworks, the 36-by-85-foot barn was reassembled during a two-week project in July 2008.
Click Here for More Information on this Restoration Project
Gindler barn prior to dismantling, left.
With a large group of CARD volunteers, Trillium Dell and Timber Framers Guild carpenters on hand to keep busy, this project was carefully staged to have one crew complete the restoration and hewing, while another crew assembled and raised bents, while a third crew sided, painted and roofed the barn as it was raised. As many as thirty hands worked on this structure at once. Community involvement is key to the longevity of the structure. In the last picture, Trillium Dell staff, Timber Framers Guild members, and CARD volunteers partner to ensure longterm community investment in the Gindler barn.
Bank Barn Restoration - 2006
Trillium Dell dismantled, restored, and re-erected this 1880s four bay bank barn originally used as a threshing barn in the upper floor, and a livestock barn in the basement. During this project, Trillium Dell offered hewing and other workshops illustrating traditional carpentry techniques for the Collinsville area community, as well as worked with volunteers to generate longterm community interest. This barn was partially raised by hand using community volunteers and traditional barn-raising techniques.
Below left: Dismantling the barn after drawing the entire barn and labeling all members. Bent assembly being prefit in the shop prior to shipping, below right.
Raising photos, including scarf-jointed rafter plate, below.
Gindler Barn YouTube Video
Produced by Oakview Road Media, these YouTube videos chronicle the progress and everyday life during the Gindler Barn restoration project.
Dekalb Barn Restoration
Pictured Left & Right: The barn before & after repairs.
Barn Restoration, Dekalb, IL
This 1880s hay barn had severe sill damage, as well as damaged girts where the lean-to addition joined the original barn. Additionally, the lean-to addition, which was a poorly constructed stick-built addition, was on the brink of collapse. After the owners tore down the existing lean-to, Trillium Dell lifted most of the barn, removed and replaced damaged sills with new white oak sills, and selectively replaced damaged posts and girts. In addition, two sides of the rubble stone foundation were relaid and tuckpointed. Wanting to use the lean-to space for a horse barn, the owners elected to have Trillium Dell design and build a 44'x 16' timber-frame lean-to. Square rule joinery was used to match the existing timber frame, and southern yellow pine was a near match to the original pine. New siding, battens, roofing and painting have readied this barn for years of future use and enjoyment.
Barns for Sale
The barns pictured below are a sampling of barns for sale. If interested in one or more of these barns, please contact Tim Narkiewicz at
Availability subject to change without notice.
Barn #1 - Raymond, IL - 30'x40'
Barn #2 - Hillsdale, IL
Barn #3 - Port Byron, IL - Sold - To be restored as a guesthouse in Colorado
Barn #4 - Hillsdale, IL
Barn #5 - Columbia City, IN - 40' x 60' hewn timbers
Barn #6- Bushnell, IL
Barn #7 - Millington, MI
Barn #8 - Ogden, IL - Barn & Crib for sale
Barn #9 - Gilson, IL - 42 x 46 dismantled & ready to ship, lots of walnut in this frame
Barn #10 - Sartell, MN Round Barn
Barn #11 - Erie, IL 40' x 48' with 3' overhang on basement side
Barn #12 - Hillsdale, IL 58' x 36' pine
Barn #13 - Clymers, IN 72' x 40' mixed hardwoods hewn frame
Barn #14 - Green Valley, IL
Barn #15 - Kankakee, IL - 30x40 threshing barn circa 1860's
Barn #16 - Eldred, IL - 84x30 (contains 2 distinct barns circa 1860 - 1890s, hardwood & pine)
Barn #17 - Michigan - Hewn mixed hardwoods (lots of walnut)
1850s House for Sale near Albany, IL
Barns For Sale
Please scroll to the bottom of the page to view a sampling of timber frame barns available for dismantling and re-erection. Many of these frames are available for the cost of taking them. Please contact Tim Narkiewicz at
"The barn is holding up beautifully, the horses love it and neighbors near and far are so pleased with the results. People still stop by to see inside. Over the summer a woman stopped by. She lived here during the Depression. She had been passing the property for many years but had been reluctant to stop. She was sure the barn was being torn down. She said the day she drove by and realized it was being repaired she broke into tears."
~ S.F., Barn Owner, Dekalb, IL
Piatt County Museum's Barn Dismantle
Trillium Dell Timberworks and several talented subcontractors dismantled the historic University of Illinois Beef Barn. Purchased by the Piatt County Museum, this barn will be re-erected to serve as a museum in Monticello, IL. Dismantlers used a specially designed “lifting plate” to remove sections of the floor, constructed with Douglas Fir 2 x 4’s laid on edge and gang nailed together. The floor was removed in manageable sections, which had been cut with a specialty demolition blade. The crew loaded sections of the barn onto semis, and hauled it to storage. The barn will be reassembled using the same method.
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