May 6, 2010 at 8:17 a.m.
Spring cleanup May 10 at Moody Round Barn historic site
Spring cleanup May 10 at Moody Round Barn historic site
Sherry Stirling said the historical society felt that both the historic round barn and farmhouse, on the shore of Moody Lake, could use a little TLC before a big community event at the site later this month.
The public is invited to bring a rake, shovel, weed whacker or just a sturdy pair of work gloves to help out May 10. The Chisago County Historical Society will have a couple of walk-behind mowers, but if you have one you can bring, that would be appreciated. There will be brushes and paint provided for touch-up work on the structures.
Moody Round Barn and Township Park is on Lofton Avenue, five miles south of Chisago City. You can't miss it, it's round and blue and it's the only one in the county.
Festival coming soon
The park is the place to be for the Family Farm Fest, Sunday, May 23, sponsored by the Chisago County Historical Society.
The 1915 round barn will be open and there will be music, picnic style food, beverages and antique cars and more. Plus there's shoreline fishing on Moody Lake for youngsters, bring a pole.
The farm fest is noon to 4 p.m.
Stirling explained that the Moody Historic Farm is a cooperative effort of Chisago Lake Township and the historical society to preserve the last remaining round barn in Chisago County.
The barn is on its original site but was lifted and sill plate and foundation work was done, and it has been re-roofed.
The Moody family's farmstead house was relocated near the barn, from where the house originally stood on the other side of the county road.
The historical society plans to develop the facility for educational opportunities and gatherings. The equipment shed provides a nice picnic shelter, and the expanse of field is a great spot for a few lawn chairs and relaxing with friends and family.
An on site septic system has been installed to service a future restroom, and a paved parking area has been constructed. The house roofing is the next project to benefit from fundraisers like the Family Farm Fest.
The farm, circa 1871, was established by Elof and Eva Modig who emigrated from Hovmantorp, Sweden. Their son Charles A. Moody (Moody is their Americanized surname) built the special round barn.
Round barns are a marvel, both for their architecture and their function. They made dairying work for a single farmer a bit easier, complete with a gravity-fed watering system and an overhead track where a large bucket of feed hung, and could be pushed along from animal to animal. The hay was kept in the loft and the silo in the center of the round structure held the grain.
Much of the Moody Barn original interior is untouched. The ceiling is awesome, soaring almost six stories in its rounded design, made with curved planks soaked in Moody Lake.
This and the Karl Oskar House in the county park, south of Lindstrom are popular places of interest for tourists and history buffs, but Stirling says the society is working to encourage local residents to take ownership and pride in these sites and to use them and protect them.
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