Carriage Barn

Although it appears to be an original historic structure, the carriage barn is actually an amalgam of several historic barns. The impetus for the barn's construction began when the museum was offered a valuable collection of tools on the condition that there would be a safe and secure place to house them. The Loop family's original barn was not available at the time, so volunteers decided to solve the problem with elbow grease and old-fashioned community spirit.

The 1870 - 1900 era design for the barn came from the project manager, George Lawson's, grandfather, John McGregor, who had built many barns north of Deckerville.  The building was constructed of salvaged wood from a late 1800's barn on Gardner Line Road and beams and wood were obtained from several other structures. The roof metal came from another barn that had burned.  The beams are mostly hand-hewn. Many local men, including several members of the Jaycees, volunteered on the barn crew and the Port Sanilac volunteer fire department added the roof in one day.  The barn, which was completed in 1979, was built at a cost of about $4200.

The carriage barn exhibits include Dr. Loop's buggy, a two-seater wagon, and a road cutter/sleigh from the Downington area, all from about the 1880's. There are also antique blacksmith and woodworker tools, and farm equipment.