FACes & PlaceS
The arts 2004

“They have Soul” is how Sean Tracy, owner of Bucks County Timbercraft describes the barns that he takes down and rebuilds into beautiful new homes. In fact, a conversation with Sean will elicit many references to “soul” – be it the barns themselves, the tools with which there were built, or the land on which the barns were built.

Sean was born in Rochester, NY but grew up in Buckingham, PA close to his mother’s side of the family. During his high school years, Sean worked part time for a friend of the family who repaired and rebuilt old barns. Little did he know then, that this part time work would end up being his life’s passion.

Sean went into the Navy after high school graduation. He stayed for four years and then joined a flying program at the School for Aeronautical Science in Carbondale, IL. He was a pilot and flight instructor for five years until he moved to Alaska for three years to get a degree in Natural Resource Management. He worked for a year in Ohio as a pilot for the Division of Wildlife.

Sean moved back to Bucks County and, yep, you guessed it, he went back to working on barns. Working on barns is the thing he kept coming back to. “I really love the work.,.” he admits. In 1997, after taking a 3-month bike trip from Death Valley to Denali, Alaska, Sean started his own business and Bucks County Timbercraft was formed.

A crew of 4 can take down a barn in about 5 days. They dismantle it one beam at a time, meticulously tagging and numbering each piece. The barn is then transported back to the storage facility in Doylestown, where it is cleaned and repaired. Then, the barn is either stored or transported to its final destination where is it reconstructed in about the same number of days.

The outside of the barn is covered with a thick insulated layer that can be finished with whatever the homeowner chooses. The intricate network of original post and beam is displayed on the inside.- the old perfectly married to the energy efficient new structure. Three hundred year old beams become an elegant and beautiful backdrop to 21st century custom cabinetry, top of the line appliances, and contemporary furnishings.

The average price for an old barn is $80,000. This includes the dismantling, cleaning, and reconstruction of the barn frame. Of course, the land on which the new structure will stand and the customization costs of the new home are additional. And, if you are in the market for a barn home, you best be patient. You will be working with Sean and his crew for a year or more while they turn your barn into a showpiece of craftsmanship.

Barns come in many styles and sizes and usually range in age from 150-300 years old. The beams are usually from “virgin” – forests that were maybe 600 years old when the trees were cut down to make the beams. Many hours of labor were needed to make just one beam. Sean and his men have all made beams the same way and can attest to the tremendous effort needed to make hand hewn beams. Each peg was cut to size by hand - probably by the younger people who were learning barn-making skills from their parents.

What everyone who is involved with a barn home has in common is a love and respect of the workmanship and the appreciation of the “soul” of the building. Sean tells of a barn he took a client to for the first time. “When I walked through the door, there was a rush of emotions that swelled up in me. It wasn’t just the post and beam. It was all these lives and experiences, the bond with this building. It was dances, life and death, first kisses, hand holding in the hay loft – it all poured in on me.”

Sean says that people either love barn homes or hate them – there really is no in between. If you are one of the admirers, contact Sean at Bucks County Timbercraft by calling 215-249-3916 or visiting the website www.BucksCountyTimbercraft.com.