On May 27, 2010, fifth graders from Sunnyside Elementary School in the Pulaski school district got to experience first hand a piece of Wisconsin's great agricultural history as they toured the site of the historic Stone Barn.

The stone barn was once part of a very large farm.  It is over a century old and is the only remaining structure on the property today. 

The barn was built in 1903 by owner/architect Daniel Krause and mason Wilhelm Mensenkamp.  The barn is on the State and National Register of Historic Places and is one of the last surviving all-fieldstone barns in the country.

In the fall of 2009 the Town of Chase hired archaeologist Bob Fay from Old Northwest Research to locate and document the foundation of the old farm house and other out-buildings before construction of the park began.  The house was built in 1887 and burned down around 1940.

When Fay began excavating the house foundation there was only a small pile of rocks and debris visible. 

As Fay began to clear away the rocks (with the help of a skid steer and backhoe), the hole began to get larger and larger until it was evident that he was uncovering the remains of the old house cellar.

The students visited the house foundation first.  When asked what they thought the hole was from, they did not know, as it does not resemble our modern day basement at all. 

One student speculated that the hole was once used as a swimming hole.  They were amazed to learn that it was the cellar to the house.

The three groups of students made history as they posed in front of the barn.  Their fifth grade class was the first group of students to ever tour the stone barn.

A very special Thank You to all the Sunnyside 5th graders for coming to the Stone Barn to learn about its history.

You are our future and we are preserving this barn for you!