By David Devier

I have submitted several historical pieces to the Icon, and I completed a project recently that I thought might be of interest. I moved an old horse shed from the two-hundred block of South Simon St. to our property on West Lima Ave and restored it for storage.

I was driving down South Simon St, and I noticed an old, sad-looking shed/garage on the back of a vacant lot. I assumed that whoever owned it would be glad to see it gone, so I investigated and located the owner, who, as I expected, was happy to sell it to me for a dollar.

I made all the preparations to move it, and since it is less than 200 sq ft, I did not need a permit. I moved it and spent a week restoring it.

I have attached photos of the before and after. BTW, there were two horse doors on the side, and you can see where they chewed on the lumber.

Even though a sow's ear cannot be used to make a silk purse, it turned out attractive and useful. I am pleased that we were able to save the old shed from the bulldozer.

P.S. 

1) The large hinges came off a different building I moved in 1990. It was an amazing one car garage at the Dr Tipple home (old Dr Tipple the dentist) on South Main Street. It had two swinging doors made out of redwood. It was plastered and heated. I have been moving these Stanley hinges around since 1990 thinking I would use them some day.

2) The horse shed had been remodeled many years ago to accommodate an automobile which is why it has a shed roof on the back so the hood of a car could be extended into the extra space. When they did the remodel, they built new doors out of old growth fir and the doors on the building now I made from the large sliding door. It is amazing wood.

I am making a sofa table from the man door off the shed which is also the same old growth fir. I have the table top constructed and I have attached a photo of it.