After more than a year of uncertainty, there’s a new effort to save an historic farm structure in Centre County.
An informational meeting is set for later this month.
Gary Sinderson has our story
The Kepler Barn dates back probably at least 200 years. On one side the date “1818” is engraved in wood.
After her husband died in 1929, Millie Kepler took over the family farming business being one of the few female farmers in Pennsylvania at the time.
The barn is now owned by Penn State, located at their Rock Springs Research Facility along Route 45 in Ferguson Township.
Last year, because of its detonating condition, Penn State announced plans to demolish the barn. Those plans put on hold, after the University heard from farmers and historical groups.
The state’s Secretary of Agriculture was among those talking about it
“So yeah we’ve been involved in it, the challenge for us is that, you know,there’s not a grant program for us, you know, a capital project grant for us to support them.”
The financial component is key to saving the Kepler Barn especially if it can be renovated and preserved. Penn State remains open to that idea, but it could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The University now reportedly willing to help with fund raising.
But there’s a June first deadline on the project. On March 30th, a fundraiser and information meeting on saving the Kepler Barn will be held at Pine Grove Hall in Pine Grove Mills.