The Barn History
The Harris Barn was originally constructed in the early 1900s on Hopcott Road in the Tilbury area of Delta. In 1940 the barn was moved to 5561 64 Street. In the spring of 2012, an application was made to demolish the barn by its then-owner. The barn was listed in Delta’s historical inventory as being in excellent condition. The owner offered the barn to Delta if it could be relocated within the timeframe necessary for his proposed development. In May of 2012, Delta Council accepted his offer and the barn was dismantled and relocated to 4140 Arthur Drive. The site of Kirkland House since 1911, this heritage parcel of land has been publicly owned since 2003.
Moving a barn is no simple task. Each piece of timber was analyzed for structural strength and straightness. The firm of McDonald and Lawrence undertook the task of ensuring that the barn was dismantled, strengthened, and re-erected at its new location. During that process, in August of 2012, Delta held an old-fashioned barn raising with members of the public. The barn frame was re-erected on a sunny Sunday afternoon, involving hundreds of volunteers.
A special thanks to the Federal Government of Canada, represented by Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Associate Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Delta-Richmond East, for its contribution of $250,000 to fund access improvements as part of the barn relocation and reconstruction project.
