CLEMMONS FAMILY FARM
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The (Barn) House that Jack Built

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From Something Old comes Something New

Above: Farm. Art. Heritage: The story of the preservation of the two barns that date back to the late 1700's to early 1800's. Jack Clemmons restored and joined the two historic buildings together to create the Barn House in 1996. The Barn House is one of six historic buildings on the Clemmons Family Farm-- one of the largest African American-owned farms in Vermont.
Who knew that a shy near-sighted boy growing up in the 1920's could become a pediatric pathologist? Who knew that a pediatric pathologist could become an artist?  

Who knew that restoring two old barns could become a work of art?

Jack Clemmons preserved two historic farm buildings that were falling apart, and created the Barn House. He began the project when he was 73 years old. Twenty years later, in the video Farm. Art. Heritage, Jack spends quality time with family friends Ngame and Pauline to explain his vision and the process to restore the old barns. 
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                              1                              +                                1                              =                                  1             
Above:  Jack's formula for an artisan's masterpiece:
One  18th century granary PLUS one 18th century cow barn EQUALS one 20th century Barn House.

​African American legacies, and the legacies of all of the many different people and cultures of the African diaspora, need to be identified, documented and shared much more widely than they presently are.  These are the land, properties and true-life stories that represent past and present resilience, creativity and perseverance.  Legacies offer lessons that are important for everyone-- today and for our future generations.  

The vision and the work that went into preserving an old cow barn and an old granary on the Clemmons Family Farm is one of these legacies.  Dating back to the late 1700's to early 1800's, both farm structures were falling apart.  During the early 1990's, several well-meaning contractors advised Jack Clemmons to just tear the old buildings down rather than "waste" time and resources trying to preserve them. 

Jack had other ideas.  As a young child, Jack had worked alongside his grandfather, who was a carpenter.  Jack had learned the skills of the trade and he had also learned to appreciate manual labor, fine craftsmanship, and the beauty of historic structures.  When he was 73 years old, Jack decided to preserve the old cow barn and granary. He ignored the skepticism of the contractors and worked with just one other carpenter to design, plan and preserve the two structures. He scoured salvage yards around Vermont to find historic windows, doors, antique hardware and other treasures to use in the preservation work.  Several years later, the Barn House was complete!
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BARN HOUSE
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FAMILY AND FARM LEGACY
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Clemmons Family Farm, Inc.
PO Box 546
Charlotte, Vermont 05445
​​Leave us a message at: 765-560-5445
​Contact us at: contact@clemmonsfamilyfarm.org
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© CLEMMONS FAMILY FARM. COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • BHM 2023
  • What We Do
    • Our Programs >
      • Heritage Celebrations >
        • MLK Day 2023!
        • Kwanzaa 2022
        • Juneteenth 2022!
      • K-12 Ethnic Studies >
        • Field Trips
      • Creating Healthy Communities >
        • Beneath Our Skin
        • Cancelling Miss Rona
        • A Sense of Place >
          • A Sense of Place at NEFA-CCX
      • Art >
        • Farm2Art Program >
          • Summer 2016 Farm2Art Program
        • Culinary Heritage & Arts Program
      • Farm
      • Forest
      • Heritage
  • About
    • Our Team
    • About Us >
      • Our Vision
    • Who We Are >
      • Jack and Lydia's Living Legacy
      • How Jack and Lydia Found and Bought the Farm
      • Holding On to Our Legacies
    • When Are We Open?
    • Press Coverage >
      • Other News >
        • 2019 Visitors Survey: Sneak Preview
        • 2018 Updates
        • 2017 Updates
        • 2016 Updates
    • What Our Community is Saying >
      • 2018 Visitor Survey Findings!
      • Feedback from other Vermont communities
    • Subscribe!
  • Artists' Registry
    • Are You Looking for an Artist?
    • Why, Hello there, Artists!
  • Historic Buildings
    • Venue Rentals
    • Stay with Us!
    • Six Historic Buildings
    • The Barn House >
      • The Barn House Legacy
      • Stay with Us!
    • The Big Barn >
      • "Making History, Creating Place" Videos!
      • The Historic Water Cistern
    • The Main House >
      • About the Black Locust Trees
    • The Shop >
      • The Authentica Library
      • Shop Storytelling Videos
  • Please Donate!
    • Subscribe!
  • 2023 Calendar!!