Main front-page: Group saved historic Henry Miller Red Barn from demolition
Volunteers will host June 17 barbecue to raise funds to help restore old barn
Published in the May 31 – June 13, 2017 issue of Gilroy Life
By Carly Gelsinger
Photo by Carly Gelsinger
Maureen Hunter, a Red Barn Association board member, stands in front of the historic Henry Miller Red Barn
Despite all odds, the locally famous 126-year-old barn in Christmas Hill Park is well on its way to being restored to the iconic community center supporters know it can be.
The solid, rough-cut redwood barn built by ranching pioneer Henry Miller — known to locals as “Miller Red Barn” — faced demolition from the city of Gilroy in 2014 until a group of passionate community members fought for its preservation. After two years of petition, the Red Barn earned its place on the National Historic Register. It’s now a federally protected structure, much to the joy of those who worked to save it. But the Red Barn Association isn’t resting on its laurels. There is still much work to be done, said Patti Perino, Red Barn Association board member.
“There’s a number of structural issues we need to tackle before we can restore it to its legacy,” Perino said.
The legacy Perino and the other five Red Barn Association board members envision is a multi-purpose public space celebrating Gilroy’s agricultural history, similar to the Emma Prusch Farm Park in San Jose.
Photo courtesy Red Barn Association
The inside of the Red Barn, which needs renovation before it can be opened to the public.
On a recent sweltering weekday, Red Barn Association Board Member Maureen Hunter surveyed the beloved barn she’s dedicated the past three years to saving.
“Barns are disappearing,” Hunter said as she walked around the barn’s 5,000-square-feet footprint on the ranch side of Christmas Hill Park. “They were part of our culture and the California landscape. Everyone grew up with barns around them, and now most of them are gone.”
The Red Barn, once restored, will honor the many immigrant groups that have made Gilroy what it is today, Hunter said.
“Each wave of immigrants, from the Spanish to the ’49ers to the Mexicans, have brought their culture with them, as well as their agriculture, being that this is the most fertile area. The Portuguese brought dairies, the Italians brought their vineyards, the Japanese brought garlic,” Hunter said.
The barn is boarded up and fenced off until the time it can be repaired. The corrugated tin roof is peeling back and rodents scurried around the structure as Hunter spoke.
Longtime Gilroy roofer Jimmy Shrull is going to replace the roof at only the cost of materials, Hunter said.
“We’ve had so much support from the community, it really is incredible,” she said.
While supportive of the community’s plans for the barn, the city is not financially involved in the project. The work has been carried by 100 percent volunteer efforts from the community.
“We don’t even take money for gas,” Hunter said, laughing.
Because of the barn’s location in a city park, the infrastructure for future events such as parking and lighting already exists.
“It’s a perfect location for what we envision,” Hunter said. The Red Barn Association has dreams of planting a community garden outside the barn, working with local schools and the Future Farmers of America with various events and projects, and being a venue for endless uses for the community such as fairs, concerts, cultural events and beyond.
The barn was originally built from redwood lumber logged from what is now Mt. Madonna County Park in 1891 for Miller’s cattle storage, as Gilroy was part of the route he would use to the San Francisco slaughterhouse. The barn became a stopover on their trek. Later, the barn was used for processing the fruit and nuts that grew in the orchard on the property.
“It has a rich history that deserves to be honored,” Perino said.
The board is in need of members. Hunter specifically encourages college students or graduates looking for internships in event planning, nonprofit work or marketing to join.
From 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 17, the Red Barn volunteers will throw an old-fashioned barbecue, in the spirit of the annual barbecues Henry Miller himself threw at the barn a century ago. Proceeds will go to the structural improvements for the barn.
The night will feature square dancing and dinner cooked by famous Gilroy foodie duo SakaBozzo (Gene Sakahara and Sam Bozzo). Auction prizes include a trip to Maui, rare vintage posters of the Garlic Festival and limited edition oil paintings of the Red Barn. Tickets are $50.
“It’s going to be a great night,” Perino said.
Information on all things Red Barn, including the upcoming fundraiser, can be found on their new website www.themillerredbarn.org.