Barn ruins

The barn associated with the Morgan Log House property is no longer standing and only a stone and cement foundation and a circa 1940 concrete silo remains. The barn likely dated to the late nineteenth century to early twentieth century and was likely a bank barn. We believe this because of the amount of banked soil at the rear of the site and the size of the ruin. Barns increased their size at this time to accommodate the increase of diary farming, which became popular due to dairy technology improvements, refrigeration, and pasteurization. 

The barn included a small attached milk house on the south elevation and a chicken coop on the north elevation. A stone-walled barn yard was on the east elevation. A sketch of the barn by "Sis" Forsythe Robinson shows the interior layout.

The family that lived on the property from 1933 to 1936, the Forsythes, were tenants who documented their time on the property with photographs and an oral history. Family recalled operating a dairy out of the barn with John Forsythe, the father, transporting the milk to Lehigh Valley Dairy in Lansdale. They also recalled having to install a cement floor in the barn to meet dairy regulations at the time, which can still be seen.

The farm in 1933 did not have electricity, running water, or indoor toilets. The family grew vegetables, hay, grapes, and apples while Mr. Forsythe had additional employment at the Budd Company at 22nd and Allegheny Avenues in Philadelphia to support the family. The farm had five cows, three horses, ducks, chickens, and rabbits. They sold milk to Lehigh Valley Dairy from their Holsteins and rabbits likely to market in Lansdale. The family occasionally slaughtered chickens and ducks for market. The family had to fertilize the fields since the fields had been depleted and had not been worked for a time. By the time they left in 1936, the family was producing better crops. They likely used the manure from their cows and chickens to fertilize their fields, much like neighbor William Leister frequently did, which he recorded in his diaries. Mr. Leister's farm was located at the corner of Allentown and Weikel roads intersect, on the current site of Schwenkfeld Manor.

The silo was likely constructed around 1940, after the Forsyth family's occupation, since their photographs do not show the structure. Silos were used to store grain or corn, which was an increasing need for farms that had dairy cows, which fed on the grain. However, it was used only for a short period, when the barn deteriorated and the local fire department used it for practice. This removed the wooden structure of the barn and much of the stone and cement material.

The barn site is currently fenced off due to the varied conditions of the barn foundation. The fencing was part of a Boy Scout Eagle project, to protect the site. In the fall of 2018, the Morgan Log House received a grant from the Bee Cause Project, installing two bee hives within the fenced area. The museum uses the hives and honey for community educational purposes. 

History of the Property and House. Morgan Log House. Accessed February 14, 2021. http://www.morganloghouse.org/history-2/

Draft Agricultural History of the Morgan Log House (2019). Morgan Log House files.