In rural Barton County, Kansas, a 126-year-old limestone barn is getting a second life after standing through more than a century of hard weather and a major fire.
Jim and Katie Homolka are restoring the massive barn on their family property, now known as Scorched Stone Farm. The structure was built around 1900 by Jim’s ancestors, who carved it from the region’s golden limestone with hand tools and heavy labor. A 1930 fire destroyed the barn’s wooden interior, but the limestone walls remained intact, a testament to the durability of thick stone construction.
The Homolkas received a $25,000 matching award through Kansas’ Barn Adaptation and Restoration Needs, or BARN, grant program. The state launched the one-time program in 2024, distributing $100,000 across six projects aimed at converting underused historic barns into new agritourism and business venues. Tourism officials said the grants drew strong interest, but the program ended due to a lack of future funding. Grant recipients statewide contributed more than $200,000 in matching funds to move their restoration work forward.
At the Homolka farm, the renovation has focused on making the building usable while preserving the original stone shell. The couple removed livestock stalls, feed bins, and grain storage, replaced the dirt floor with concrete, added insulation, relocated stairs to the loft, and upgraded the building’s electrical service. Air conditioning and loft improvements remain on the list as they work toward hosting more formal events in the space.
For restoration-minded crews, the barn’s wall section tells the story. The exterior walls measure more than 2 feet thick, built as two layers of 1-foot limestone blocks with crushed limestone between them. Any modernization in a building like this starts with respect for that original assembly and the labor that shaped it.
Read the full, original article from Kansas Reflector here.