Northfield Mt. Hermon barn

A Frame Cut by the Community with Hand Tools Only

This very large barn was a replacement for a barn that burned down at the Northfield–Mt. Hermon Secondary School in Gill, Mass. Although a crane was used, the frame was cut with hand tools only. It is a 45 x 80-ft.m 7-bent dairy barn. Participants included students, staff, parents, and alumni.

Local Partner
Northfield Mt. Hermon School

Other Partners/sponsors
W.D. Cowls

Local Partner Heroes
Richard Odman, farm program director
Sam Kelly, student liaison

Notable aspects
Very large dairy barn; hand tools used to cut the joinery.

TFG leaders
Alicia Spence, Tom Musco, Jack Witherington, Russell Ley, Todd Bissell, Bob Smith, Donna Williams.

In-kind donations
Virginia Military Institute, Woodcraft Supply

Blog
NMH blog (Internet Archive) 

Photographer
Joel McCarty

Narrative
Scantlings 89, 91