Greeting Friends of Wisdom Barn,
First of all, I would like to thank all of you for your gifts to support the renewal of Wisdom Barn. Some of you may have been watching the slow deterioration of this old barn for decades. Others have learned about Wisdom Barn in the last few months. All of you, I believe, have been able to see not just an old barn rotting away, but also the architectural and cultural treasure that has been with us all along, and the possibilities for what Wisdom Barn could be for the communities of Holy Wisdom Monastery.
And now as we transition from the blustery cold and damp to the season of warmth and verdant prairies, repair and restoration have begun at Wisdom Barn. In the first 5 days of work by Bender Builders, the transformation of Wisdom Barn has been truly remarkable! From bottom to top, inside, outside and all around changes abound. The lower barn is now open, bright and spacious with repaired and leveled beams and 10 new metal support columns. On top, roof boards have been repaired or replaced, and as of today new green metal roofing covers most of the roof. In the middle, cables and pushers are slowly straightening and aligning the timbers, and rotten flooring has been removed.
The work of Bender Builders will be completed by the first week of May. By that time Wisdom Barn will be stabilized with a safe upper barn floor and lower barn ceiling, closed in with a new roof, new windows and repaired or replaced doors. It will stand proudly for all to see between the restored prairie and the oak woodlands on the hill and be a reminder of the heritage of Wisconsin hard working farm families.
We can now all look forward to new possibilities for bringing Wisdom Barn into the life of the communities of Holy Wisdom Monastery.
Sincerely,
Peter Marshall
Monastery Volunteer