The Knigga Haypress Barn 2009

Inspiration Behind The Haypress Barn

In 2003 I had been looking for a log house and ran across a fellow who knew of a hay press barn. Even though it didn’t spark much interest at the time, I decided to go ahead and take a look at it. All I could think was “Wow!” I took some pictures and I was definitely intrigued. When I showed the pictures to other people, it seemed as if they had never seen such a thing. This proved to me that not only was the structure unique in character, but was rare, which only made me even more interested.

The property was located on Pleasant Ridge in Ohio Co. about 10 minutes from our farm. A guy named Jack Wetterick from Ohio owned the 80 acre property where the barn was located. He owned the property for an investment and decided he wanted to sell the dilapidated barn because the barn sat on a ridge where potential development could eventually occur. Soon we negotiated a deal which included clean up of the site, and the barn was mine!

It took about 2 weeks to take down, including the stone foundation. I stored the barn for nearly 2 years before I had a reconstruction plan and exact location determined. Groundbreaking started in the fall of 2006 and was 90% finished by the spring of 2007.

Working with Mother Nature through the winter months did not make the process any easier. Efficiency is a key component of mine in the business world, so not only is having the right tools and equipment a necessity, but also a good plan of attack. The barn raising, from the footers to the gutters ended up taking approximately 30 days over a 3 month period of time. We all know that taking something apart is the easy part, however putting it back together is a whole different story. Thorough documentation was taken by tagging every piece which consisted of over 200 tags. Along with the tags, taking pictures, videotaping and blueprinting was a must. Notes were made during documentation to determine what pieces needed to be replaced.

I am still continuing to add and tweak small details with the barn every time I am at the farm. Now I am working on a layout for a whole village that I plan to build some day. I am always looking and collecting props to add to the buildings to create as surreal of an environment as possible.

How the Haypress Works

A hay press is a three story stationary hay baling mechanism called the Hewitt, Beater and Mormon Press. It was invented by Samuel Hewitt of Switzerland County in 1843 to be an improvement of other presses at the time. To operate the press, it took two or three attendants and an animal such as a mule. It took approximately 10 – 15 minutes to make each 300 lb bale. The bales were made to ship on the Ohio River to growing urban areas where local hay was unavailable.

At one time records show there were between 200 and 300 presses throughout Ohio and Switzerland Counties. To the best of my knowledge there are now only 6 remaining.

On the ground level, a mule is attached to the sweep at the bottom of the press. The mule is then led counter clockwise one revolution, which allows for a pulley to lift a 1000 lb wooden weight up to the 3rd floor level.

On the 2nd story, the attendants fork loose hay into the baling compartment where a counter weighted hinged door opens on the north side of the press. Once the compartment is filled with hay, the door is closed by counter weights. The attendant then pulls the trip lever, which allows the weight to drop back down to the baling compartment on the second floor and compresses the hay.

The process is repeated 6-7 times until a full bale is made. The jackscrew (which you can see from the ground floor) rotates, which pushes the baling compartment floor downwards when the mule is being led counter clockwise. Then the mule is led clockwise 6 times which allows the jackscrew to rotate and bring the bottom of the bale level with the 2nd floor again. One more clockwise rotation then finishes the compression of the bale.

On the second floor the doors to the baling compartment are opened and the attendant laces each bale with twine. The mule is then led counter clockwise again to raise the weight off of the bale. The attendant then uses hand held hay hooks to pull the bale out of the compartment. The door then closes and the process is started over to make bale number 2!

Hay Press Barn

Picture taken around 1970 by neighbor Jan West

Hay Press Barn – When found in 2003

Pearl Carson / Jack Wetterick – Owners of Property

Salvage materials from adjoining barn

Structure supporting the Haypress

Structure supporting the Haypress

Mark Powers and Jim Ballart

Schaffer Crane & Rigging estimates press weighing

9300 – 9700 lbs

16’ tall x 34’ long Bents – transported in one piece, with escort Vance Patton.

Tim Knigga / Denny Scudder pictured

Amish assisting with stone – approximately 80 ton salvaged

Reconstruction

New site location on Knigga Farm.

Groundbreaking in fall of 2006.

Foundation & Footers in progress

Russ Ibold assisting with pouring the footers

Gary & Alvin Wickey starting with stone foundation

Block was used below ground level and grouted for structural purposes.

Dan Perkins & Doug Hiltz assist with another stone foundation on Curry Property (Goodner

Road) to complete the stone foundation

Sycamore Log used for new floor joist

Setting of floor joists

Transportation of bents from end of Kirkpatrick Lane – road was not wide enough to

leave lying down

A grove of tulip poplar trees used for new rafters and siding

Rick Flodder & Sons of Batesville and their portable sawmill

Mike & Vivian Ibold assist with the construction of the cupola

Paul Toney using his expertise, installing a standing seam copper roof on the cupola.

Birds eye view

Installing Cedar Gingerbread trim sawn out of old telephone poles

Barn Owl

Alvins family, enjoying the road trip and the day at the farm

Dan Perkins & Danny Kleckner – Helping with footers for the ramp

A pile of collected stone, finally turning into something

Savannah, helping Casey sort out the stone

Nancy & Tim Knigga, along with Denny & Jan Scudder, overseeing the project, with

Savannah, Jake, and Shamrock

Casey, finalizing the ramp with the last stone

Casey, with his parents, Tim & Nancy Knigga

I would like to thank everyone who assisted in making this project a successful venture. With no outside funds or grants, thriftiness was a necessity and everyone’s help is very much appreciated.

Mom and Dad (Tim and Nancy Knigga) – support and equipment use. Even more importantly, for allowing me to take on a challenge.

Alvin Wickey – Craftsman, Carpenter, and MasonGary Langford – Handyman, CarpenterRod and Kay Ballart – Storage FacilityRick Walters – Welding of cast iron on PressRick Flodder and Sons – Portable SawmillAlan Smith – Engineer, Problem SolverScott Huntsinger and Tracy Porter – Knowledgeable EnthusiastsPaul Toney – Standing seam copper roof on CupolaMike and Vivian Ibold – Construction of CupolaRuss Ibold – FootersMark and Todd Powers – Assistance in dismantling and guttersDan Perkins, Danny Kleckner, Doug Hiltz, and Jared Blasdel – AssistanceLonnie Steele – Boom truck useTony Danielson – ElectricalSchaffer Crane and Rigging – Picking and Placing HaypressBrian Knigga – Peg RemoverBrad Knigga – ExcavationMatt Knigga – ElectricalAnd to several others who have contributed

Future Projects

Log House in Batesville

Log House #2

Platt House in Manchester, currently owned by Steve Hake

Log Barn in Oldenburg