Saturday, October 11, 2015
In 1912 dairy farmer William Lakie built a stunning barn with a graceful arched roof to house his thoroughbred Holstein cows. The stalls and milking parlor were located in the lower (basement) level. The main or upper level with the vaulted roof served as a loft for storing hay (fodder) and straw (bedding) for the herd. During the early 1900s the Detroit United Railway stopped in front of the Lakie farm to pick up full milk cans and drop off the empty ones. (See also 365 Story on September 9.)
Mr. Lakie sold the barn and the three acre parcel it stood on in 1928 to the First Presbyterian Church of Troy. The church members removed the silo, remodeled the building, and created a chapel on the main level. In 1971 the only “Barn Church” in the state of Michigan was sold to the Emerson Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. In 1977 the Barn Church became a locally designated historic resource (See Chapter 13 of the City of Troy Ordinances and watch for the 365 Story on October 15 for more on historic preservation.)
In the last 18 months the Unitarian congregations in Troy and Rochester combined and adopted the new name Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation. They continue to meet in the historic Barn Church.
Information about their services and projects can be found at https://www.beaconcongregation.org/
Photo
Barn Church
Resource
Historic District Commission files, Troy Historic Village
To commemorate the City of Troy’s 60th Anniversary in 2015, we will publish a different story each day that highlights a person, discovery, or event that occurred locally, regionally, nationally, or even globally between 1955 and 2015 and that helped shape our lives and our community. We will try to post stories on important anniversary dates, but we also realize that dates are less critical than content and context. We will include the facts related to controversial stories, allowing our readers to form their own opinions. We invite you to read and comment on the stories. Your suggestions for topics are also welcome and can be posted on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TroyHistoricVillage. You can also email stories or ideas to the 365 Story Editor at ed@thvmail.org.
