Woodbury's Miller Barn​ Won't Be Torn Down (Yet)

WOODBURY, MN — The Miller Barn won't be torn down, at least until 2021. Last month, the Woodbury City Council voted voted to allow the local Heritage Society to raise money and oversee repairs to the Miller Barn, located on publicly-owned land at Settlers Ridge Parkway and Valley Creek Road.

The city agreed not to tear down the barn until 2021, the Pioneer Press reported.

According to the Save Woodbury’s Miller Barn" website, the Woodbury Heritage Society said $500,000 are needed for restoration and upkeep. The group's first goal is to re-roof and re-side the barn.

The website says the barn is "a prime example of the early 20th century barns that were integral to Woodbury agricultural past."

The website says its vision is that the Miller Barn is restored in a way that preserves the character of the original barn:

The Miller Barn and the surrounding 100-acre site represent an opportunity for Woodbury to celebrate our community's heritage, to educate young and old on the history of those families and peoples who founded the community and to provide a popular event destination for the region -- a Valley Creek Park.

Christopher Burns, who was the sole no-vote on the barn measure, told the Pioneer Press he is worried about the city having to take on future maintenance costs.

He told the newspaper he doesn't know if the city needs to preserve the Miller Barn because neighboring cities, such as Cottage Grove, currently preserve similar barns.

Image via Google Streetview