NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — An iconic barn in Sumner County may soon be restored after a preservation group received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the state.
Comer Barn sits prominently on Nashville Pike in between Gallatin and Hendersonville. The barn was built in the 1930s and used to house horses, but has fallen into disrepair. There's a plan to restore the barn and give it to the county school system.
PHOTOS: A LOOK AT THE COMER BARN NEAR GALLATIN
"It's historic but maybe iconic is the better word," said county commissioner Deanne DeWitt. "This barn sits at a pivotal intersection of our county. It's this greenspace and a barn unlike anything else. It's totally unique and it's construction. I would argue it's become part of our identity."
It sits on 17 acres of open field. It has a sandstone brick exterior and is solidly build with dark wood and red accented metal on the inside.
The state gave $250,000 to the county for its restoration. The county initially had a $500,000 plan to restore the building, mainly the roof, but has reduced the plan's initial cost. DeWitt said some residents weren't happy with the cost to the county.
"With the rehab approach we might be looking at the 250-300,000 range to fix the roof and some of the other areas of the barn that need to be addressed," said DeWitt.
DeWitt is the president of a preservation foundation that's also organizing a fall festival to raise money for the building. It's scheduled for October 15 and will include live music among other activities.
The plan is to turn this into an Ag and STEM learning center that will be owned by Sumner County Schools it will provide an opportunity for field trips and projects at all levels K-12 just to get students involved in the land," said DeWitt.
After the building is fixed up, DeWitt said the county may have other plans for the land to make it a community space.
