Edsel Ford Barn Efforts Begin a New Green Season

fohra-hh-logo-fohra-320x240 FOHRA members with assistance from an Oakland County WWAM  team (Weekends and Weekday Alternative for Misdemeanants) resumed major sorting and reclamation efforts at the Edsel Ford Barn on March 28th inside the Highland Recreation Area. High winds during a June 8, 2008 storm dropped approximately 3/4 of the barn's rear structure into a large debris pile that FOHRA will now sort and salvage.

Heavy Lifter Begins Salvage of The Edsel Ford Barn - Spring 2009

FOHRA members organized the material content into sorting locations that included metal, glass, wood, asphalt tiles, etc. The volunteers intend to reuse as much of the original materials as possible for the barn's restoration.

A Metal Sorting Location at the Edsel Ford Barn

Heavy lifting equipment from volunteer group member Dean Sutton was used to begin dismantling the large debris field. The machinery makes short work of what seems to be an insurmountable task.

Heavy Lifter Dismantles the Edsel Ford Barn Debris

FOHRA's efforts within the Highland Recreation Area are guided with intentions to reuse and reclaim as much of the park's historic structure's materials as possible, whenever possible.  Discussion of salvage projects at member meetings, which occur on the 1st Wednesday of every month, is usually filled with "green" ideas for future efforts.

Cedar Shingles from the Barn's Siding, Sorted for Storage

The green efforts are also financially smart. Salvaging valuable raw materials makes good cents (pun intended).

Dean Sutton's Heavy Lifter Engages a Large Stack of Reusable Timbers

Seen below, even wood that is deemed unusable for now is being sorted and stored for it's final disposition.

Wood Salvage

Come join the efforts of the Friends of Highland Recreation Area to restore this barn and other historic structures from the era of Edsel Ford's Haven Hill Estate. See our website for membership info.... www.fohra.org.   The next meeting of the group is at the White Lake Township community building on Wednesday, May 6 at 7 pm.