Historic preservationists and North Liberty area residents who are scrambling to stop the state from demolishing a barn at Potato Creek State Park say it appears the demolition plans would violate state law.
Before the state can demolish a historic structure, it must get approval from the state’s Historic Preservation Review Board. When it comes to this barn, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources is saying that review isn’t needed because the barn can’t be placed on the national or state registries of historic places, since the rest of the original farm is gone.
Members of the nonprofit Indiana Barns Foundation say that’s true but the barn is still historic, and the state has even documented it. In determining whether old structures should be preserved, the DNR classifies them as either outstanding, notable, contributing or non-contributing.
A report obtained by WVPE shows that in 2000 the DNR classified the barn as “contributing,” finding that although it doesn’t qualify for national or state historic registry listing, “Such resources are important to the density of continuity of an area’s historic fabric.”
The DNR’s timeline for demolishing the barn remains a mystery. The agency’s spokeswoman has declined WVPE’s interview requests.
