A historic barn at the crossroads of Routes 40 and 519 in Glyde was lifted off its foundation on Tuesday afternoon as part of the initial process to clear away the support beams and foundation so the barn can eventually be transported about half-mile down Route 519 to the Ross Farm.

Barn Raising

The barn raising by Berks County-based Wolfe House & Building Movers was part of the initial process to clear away the support beams and foundation so the barn can eventually be transported to the Ross Farm. The move was supposed to happen last week, but inclement weather and other obstacles have delayed it to a future date.

Amy Ross Manko, who watched the process unfold, said, “This is the biggest thing to happen in Glyde in a hundred years.” The Ritter family, who lives on the neighboring property, donated their barn to Ross Manko and Melinda Wamsley, who runs Boss Mare Shearing and had been caring for the flock, after a fire destroyed the historic “old barn” on Ross Manko’s 178-acre property in North Bethlehem Township, killing 147 sheep inside.

The barn holds sentimental value for Ross Manko, as it was built by her great-grandfather’s brother, Charles Ross. Ross Manko’s great-grandfather, Frank L. Ross Sr., built the old barn on her property that was destroyed by fire.

Ross Manko expressed her gratitude, saying, “I’m very, very grateful we’ve gotten this far. I can’t wait to see it spit-polished and come back into production.” The knitting and fiber community has rallied around Ross Farm, donating money and sheep to help them rebuild the flock.

Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.