[ The Barton Family ]
WS Barton and his wife Ruth Ann in front of their original house that eventually burned down.
The Barton Farmhouse that you see today was built in 1896-97 by WS and Ruth Ann Barton as the farmstead for their over 200 acre farm after their original home (half mile to the east) burned down. They found the floor plans in a popular 1890’s magazine and built the home with a few less extras (no bathrooms since there was no running water and no dining room). The two drawings shown below are the original pages from that magazine. The Barton’s owned the home from 1897 to 1926.
The house was inhabited by other families until the mid 1940s at which point it sat vacant and fell to ruin for 45 years until it was purchased again in 1985. The realtor that sold it in 1985 even offered to bulldoze the house as part of the sale. Thankfully, the new owner was a talented mason and builder and decided to rebuild and restore what he could of the original house and woodwork (which ended up being a lot). You can also see a few examples of his craftsmanship throughout the house with prominent features that he added in 1985 like the stone fireplace and the built-in breakfast nook and table.
The house you see today has been cared for by handful of different owners, but the Barton family descendants have stayed in touch and along for the journey all the while. See below for more photos of the family throughout the years.
The magazine layout WS Barton used to build the Barton Farmhouse
WS Barton and second wife, Mary, in front of summer kitchen.
WS Barton and second wife, Mary, in front of the house in 1906.
WS Barton and family on the back porch in 1906.
Barton family descendants in front of the house well before it was renovated in the 80s.
Barton Family Reunion - 2015
[ The Owners ]
Hello! We’re Whitney and Jordan, the current owners of the Barton Farmhouse.
Over the past few years we’ve had many conversations about buying a vacation home to renovate and share with others, but we just couldn’t seem to find the right one. We love old houses, Victorian architecture and original woodwork, but all of those are typically hard to find in the Hocking Hills area. In the summer of 2021 we found the listing for the Barton Farmhouse and immediately knew we had to do everything in our power to get it. From the moment we stepped foot onto the property we were enchanted. Its wide-open, rolling yard was lush and green with strong old trees everywhere. The house felt bigger and more magnificent in person with so much character in every single room. In the master bedroom upstairs, we stepped out onto the balcony and saw the vast forest beyond the property where the sun puts on a show at sunrise every day. It’s an experience we will never forget and a decision we’re so happy we made.
The next few months proved to be challenging as we learned more and more about what it takes to fully renovate an old home (this was our first). We battled supply chain delays, material shortages, contractor availability and one hell of an ice storm. But now we’re here and we are so proud of this home.
We adore the Barton Farmhouse and everything it has to offer. We hope you love it as much as we do.
