The Barn Museum

The Story of the Barn Museum

The dream of a barn museum to augment the Franklin’s historic village in Legend Park began in 2012 when the Wendt family donated its 1880s family barn on Oakwood Road to the Franklin Historical Society. The goal was to preserve the community’s farming heritage by creating a museum that would showcase artifacts, tools, and equipment from the families who established their roots in the Town of Franklin during the 1800s and early 1900s.

Dissembling the Wendt barn piece by piece was very labor-intensive and was aided by local businesses. The timber was stored on City grounds while site approval was pursued. The Franklin Historical Society organized barn dances, raffles, and countless fundraisers to bring the project to life and in 2016, site plans and approvals were finally secured from Franklin’s common council.

On December 7, 2016, a groundbreaking ceremony marked the official start of construction. The foundation was laid in 2017, with assistance from the City’s engineering and public works departments. Unfortunately, storage of the timber had caused rotting and the lumber became unusable for the reassembly of the Wendt barn. That triggered additional fundraising to build a new barn from scratch, lengthening the process.

Three years later, the Barn Museum finally became a reality with a dedication ceremony held on October 19, 2019. Today, the Barn Museum is more than just a building. It houses exhibits that bring Franklin’s rural history to life—displays of tools, equipment, and artifacts that reflect life on the farm throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, including an Allis-Chalmers tractor furnished by descendants of the R.A. Mayer Equipment Co. that once thrived on St. Martins Road. Additional farming exhibits and artifacts continue to expand the display.