From the glacier-flattened northwest to the Appalachian hills and valleys to the east and south, barns dot the Ohio landscape. Built with wooden nails and mortise-and-tenon joints and assembled with beams hand-hewn from nearby trees, some of these magnificent structures have witnessed three centuries. Many display the unique carpentry of masterful barn builders, including “mystery” wooden spikes and tongue-and-groove two-inch flooring. Sadly, a number of these barns, neglected for years, risk crumbling any day. Join artist and author Robert Kroeger on a trip to each of Ohio’s eighty-eight counties to view some of the state’s oldest and most historic barns before they’re gone.
Robert Kroeger, a native of Youngstown, graduated from Ohio State University’s College of Dentistry and served four years of active duty in the U.S. Navy, ending with the rank of lieutenant commander. He moved to Cincinnati, raised five children with his late wife and practiced general dentistry from 1977 to 2010, when he retired. He and his wife, Laura, live in Cincinnati, where they enjoy spending time with eight grandchildren. He can be contacted via the website www.barnart.weebly.com.