The Irwin Barn, Pennsylvania

THE IRWIN BARN, PENNSYLVANIA

White Oak / 1850 – 2015

The Story of Irwin. In 1769, Col. John Irwin began buying land around the foothills of the Laurel Mountains, 35 miles east of Pittsburgh. He built a fur trading post and by 1773 had established Irwin Borough, a town whose one-mile area is still recognized as a historic site today.

Irwin’s log-built trading post was eventually burned by Native Americans. He later built a frame house on Brush Hill, and this also burned to the ground. Irwin built a third time and it is this house that still stands today.

The historic white oak barn was established in 1850, and during its heyday was used primarily as a potato barn. Our preservation process managed to reclaim nearly every bit of its beautiful timber, bringing the character of more than 150 years ago into the modern world.