A family legacy. The Poormans stand in their 1819 barn in Somerset, Ohio.
The new documentary The Barn Raisers by Emmy® nominated filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films will be showcased at an Ohio Humanities Council preview event on Sunday, August 21st at the Amelita Mirolo Barn, 4395 Carriage Hill Lane in Upper Arlington. This special program is free to the public and sponsored by Friends of Ohio Barns and the Upper Arlington Parks & Recreation Department. The pre-show will begin at 5:00 p.m. with food and drinks. The film screening will take place at 6:30 p.m. followed by Q&A with the filmmakers and other film participants.
The Barn Raisers tells the story of barns in the Upper Midwest by examining them through the lens of architecture. It paints a cinematic portrait of barns and builders, and reminds us that these remnants from America's rural past are still here to be appreciated and experienced.
Traditional Timber Framer Rudy Christian during his interview for "The Barn Raisers".
The Rundles explore the concept of what barn settings, styles, methods and materials tell us about the people who built them, the life they lived, and the role these vanishing country cathedrals played in the settling and building of a growing nation.
Ohio’s J.H. Manchester round barn built by Duncan Horace in 1908 and the 1819 Poorman barn, which has been a part of the family legacy for multiple generations, are among several barns featured in the film.
“When the Poormans moved to Ohio in the early 1800s they came in a covered wagon. They got the sheep-skin deed signed by James Madison in 1808,” said owner John Poorman. “We have to have pride in what we’re doing, not only in raising crops and cattle, but in structures like this barn that have been here a long time and stand for what our ancestors have done.”
"The Barn Raisers" director Kelly Rundle and builder Dan Troth after his interview.
In addition to Ohio, the film was shot in Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa and Kansas.
“Friends of Ohio Barns is very excited to have the preview of The Barn Raisers at this venue, as we were instrumental in the restoration and repurposing of the last timber-frame structure in Upper Arlington into a beautiful recreational center for the city,” said FOB President Ric Beck.
Reservations for the event can be made at www.friendsofohiobarns.org.
This program is made possible in part by the Ohio Humanities Council, a State affiliate of The National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this documentary film and program do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The Ohio fiscal sponsor for the project is Friends of Ohio Barns.
The Rundles are the producers of the regional Emmy® nominated historical documentaries Country School: One Room – One Nation, River to River: Iowa’s Forgotten Highway 6 and Letters Home to Hero Street (co-produced with WQPT-PBS).