Barn Board and Beam Origins
"The beams ended up coming from 4 different barns, but the majority came from a barn near Homer City, Indiana County Pa and dates to the mid 1800's.
It was at one time a thriving farm, but had been unused since the early 1900's. There is a crazy and true story that goes with it......There was a single man (never did marry) who was apparently a real 'son of a gun' and unliked by everyone in town (he sounds like Mr. Potter from "It's a Wonderful Life").
During the depression, he started buying up all the properties near Homer City as well as the local bank. He was a billionaire by the time he died. There was a couple that worked for him their entire life (practically as slaves...they were living below the poverty line). They were the Bourke's.
Near his death, someone asked him (and the man who dismantled this for us actually met the old man who had this conversation) what he would do with all his money since he had no family. He said he didn't know or care. The man told him to make sure he took care of the Bourke's as they worked hard for him their whole life. He left the Bourke's everything.
Including this farm. They died as billionaires, who left everything to their son who sold the barn. He wears ripped jeans and t-shirts, works restoring houses because he likes to and still lives in Indiana County. True story. So I think of this as Mr. Potter's Barn".
The following YouTube video, although generic in nature, does provide excellent insight into the work involved in a 200 yr. old antique post and beam re-construction.
www.youtube.com
(one can fast forward through the 33 sec advertisement!)