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]
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]
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]
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.