Wilson Barn Explained

Wilson Barn
Location:NE corner of Middlebelt and W. Chicago Rds., Livonia, Michigan
Coordinates:42.3647°N -83.3319°W
Built:1888
Architect:John H. Paterson
Architecture:Bank Barn
Added:December 12, 1973
Refnum:73000962
Designated Other1:Michigan State Historic Site
Designated Other1 Date:November 15, 1973
Designated Other1 Num Position:bottom

The Wilson Barn (also known as the Ira Wilson Dairy Barn) is a barn located at the northeast corner of Middlebelt and W. Chicago Roads in Livonia, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1973. This was the beginning of the Ira Wilson & Sons Dairy Company, a now defunct company (which partnered for a time with Kroger and was ultimately acquired by Melody Farms in 1980). There were several large iconic cow's head sculptures,[1] which were fixtures in the Detroit metropolitan area.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

History

Ira Wilson was born in 1867, and began his career in dairy farming at an early age, working on the farm owned by his family since 1847.[8] He built a barn on this site in 1888; in 1919 the barn burned and he built the present structure on the foundations of the earlier barn.[8] Wilson eventually established a million-dollar dairy, creamery, and trucking business, the Ira Wilson & Sons Dairy,[8] [9] and served for two terms as Wayne County sheriff. Wilson died in 1944, and the lower level of the barn was converted for use as a horse stable in the same year.[8]

As of 2011, the Wilson Barn is managed by "The Friends of the Barn," a volunteer group.[10]

Description

The barn is a post-and-beam structure faced with wood siding, resting on a stone foundation and having a gambrel roof.[8] A silo made of dark brown, glazed tile is attached to the barn.[8]

Events

The friends of the Wilson Barn host many events at the barn including a farmers market every saturday from the first Saturday in June until October, pumpkinfest, a twice monthly community board game night, an annual chess tournament, and other various events including 2 car shows.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Giant cow head . Atlas Obscura.
  2. Milking It . Dairy Field Magazine . Michael George, Stagnito Publishing . April 2001 . January 4, 2018.
  3. Web site: A Tale of Two Cow heads . January 4, 2018 . Detroitkidshow.com.
  4. Web site: Wilson's Dairy . Photograph . . January 4, 2018.
  5. Web site: Own the Landmark Dairy Building from 8 Mile for $79K: 'This opportunity comes once in a lifetime' . The cow head had its fifteen minutes of fame when it appeared in the 2002 Eminem film 8 Mile. The film's producers pried the plywood off the long abandoned ice cream store's windows and gave both the building and the cow a fresh coat of paint. In the film, violent jay and his posse drive in front of the building and shoot the giant cow between the eyes with a pink paintball. The owner of the building at the time didn't want his cow defaced, so the paintball splat was created with computer graphics. . Robin . Runyan . May 20, 2016 . January 4, 2018.
  6. Web site: Obituary, Ira Wilson II . Desmond Funeral Home . February 9, 2015. January 4, 2018.
  7. The dairy was located at 13041 Mack Avenue, Detroit, Michigan. Web site: Ira Wilson Sons Dairy . . January 4, 2018.
  8. http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/hso/sites/16937.htm Wilson Barn
  9. Book: Livonia . 68–69 . Images of America . David . MacGregor . . June 8, 2005 . 9781439615423.
  10. Web site: ABOUT FRIENDS OF THE BARN . Friends of the Barn . July 5, 2011.