A 75-year-old barn in Minooka, Ill. (Chris Boyce)

Dear Preservation 911,

My friend Scott and his family just moved to a farm in Minooka, Ill. The property includes a 75-year-old barn that they want to remove to make room for a modern garage. The barn is about 40 feet by 40 feet and in great shape. The wood inside the barn alone is priceless (true 2x4s, 4x6s, and even 5x10 timers make up the internal framing). The barn is up on blocks and could easily be moved or dismantled for free. No charge for the taking. Scott hates to see it torn down and thrown in a Dumpster.

Scott would prefer to not pay thousands of dollars for someone to simply knock down the barn and then that firm receives the wood for free. We're open to ideas.

Scott's first preference is to save the barn, so please help ASAP. Scott's deadline is June 1.

Sincerely,

Chris Boyce
Bolingbrook, IL

E-mail the writer with advice, comments, or commiseration.

Got a 911 in your town? Send us an e-mail.

Preservation 911 is a message board open to all readers. While National Trust staff will respond to the extent feasible, this will not be possible in all cases. We encourage other readers involved in state or local preservation to respond with advice or assistance. To contact either a regional office of the National Trust, a statewide or local nonprofit organization, or your state's historic preservation office, click here for a state-by-state list.

The National Trust's regional and field offices bring the programs and tools of the Trust to communities across the country. They offer technical assistance through consultations and field visits and financial help through small grants. They hold educational programs for professional preservationists and work to foster policies that help historic places. They also provide leadership on issues that concern entire regions, such as saving historic schools, fighting sprawl, and revitalizing cities.

Recent 911 distress calls