Fire destroys 122-year-old barn

by Laura Bednar

A 122-year-old barn on Brandywine Road burned down on March 28.

Macedonia Fire Chief Brian Ripley said the Northfield and Sagamore Hills Divisions of the Macedonia Fire Department joined firefighters at the scene after receiving a call at 1:33 p.m.

Barn owner Bonnie Dusek said her son was on the property and noticed the fire. There were no injuries, but the family has been unable to find one cat. Dusek explained that her three cats lived in the barn and only two were rescued by her daughter and daughter-in-law.

In addition to housing felines, the barn was used as a ceramic studio and office. Dusek said she and her grandchildren would do art projects together in the barn.

She recalled when students from her granddaughter’s junior class at Nordonia High School, along with parents, fixed up the barn, built in 1900, for the homecoming dance and had their dinner inside among fall decorations and candlelit tables.

“We have those memories now,” Dusek said.

Ripley said barn fires are challenging because of the layout and age of the structure. He said the barn is broken into smaller rooms and since they were built so long ago, many are retrofitted for electricity or heat.

According to Ripley, northwest winds fanned the flames but the fire was contained to the barn. The cause has yet to be determined.

Dusek said the family is devastated over the loss of the barn and believes they will build a new one.

“My son recently moved here and he wants to put it back the way it was,” she said. ∞