Town receives Jeffris grant for the Chase Stone Barn

Submitted by the Town of Chase

Gary Van Lannen, Kristin Kolkowski, and Chris Jaworski
met with the Jeffris Family Foundation and members
of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
at the Mineral Point Railroad Museum on August 6th
to review their challenge grant application.

Efforts have officially begun to help save and preserve one of the last surviving all-fieldstone barns in the country.   

On August 7, 2009, a challenge grant was approved by the Jeffris Family Foundation for the restorations of the historic 1903 Chase Stone Barn, located in the Town of Chase (northeast of Pulaski), Oconto County, Wisconsin.   

The Jeffris Family Foundation from Janesville, Wisconsin, is well known for their focus on supporting historic preservation projects in rural Wisconsin and has helped save many nationally significant projects, like the Villa Louis home in Prairie Du Chien, the Fairlawn Mansion in Superior, and the Frank Lloyd Wright Seth Peterson Cottage in Mirror Lake, Wisconsin. 

In order to qualify for this grant the stone barn had to be on the State and National Register of Historic Places.  Thanks to the efforts of the Pulaski Area Historical Society, these listings were already done back in 2000.  The town also had a Historic Structures Report done, which was completed by Brander Construction Technology in Green Bay. 

The fundraising campaign has officially begun.  The town needs a total of $430,000 to restore the stone barn.  With the Jeffris Family Foundation challenge grant, the town will have to raise two thirds of this total, $287,000, by the grant deadline of June 30, 2012.  If this is accomplished, the Foundation will give the town the remaining third, which is $143,000.  If the town fails to reach their goal by this stated deadline, then the grant will be rescinded. 

The Chase Town Board appointed a Stone Barn Committee to do what was in the best interest of the barn.  It is their intention to only make necessary modifications to the structure in order to preserve its integrity.   

Once the barn is restored, the large open area will be a gathering place for public and private events, including tractor shows, auctions, weddings, receptions, reunions, barn dances, conferences, and much more.  Antique farm equipment will be displayed along the edge of the loft for viewing below.  The large stable area will be a rustic museum which will educate people about the lifestyles of the early settlers from this area.  It will also teach people about Wisconsin’s geology and how the stones were pushed and tumbled to this region by massive Canadian glaciers over the past 70,000 years, carving out much of Wisconsin’s landscape, rivers, and lakes.   

The small rural town of Chase (population 2900) is asking for financial support from people everywhere to help restore and preserve this rare stone barn which represents part of Wisconsin’s, and this country’s, rich cultural history.  If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please make your check or money order payable to the Town of Chase and memo “Chase Stone Barn Park Fund.”  Mail to Jeanne Wroblewski, Town Clerk, 7793 Cty Rd S, Sobieski, WI 54171.  Please include your contact information so a receipt can be mailed to you and your donation can count towards the grant.  Thank you in advance for your support.   

More information about the stone barn, as well as donation information, is posted on the town website at www.townofchase.org. 

The town would like to publically thank the following for helping make this grant possible: