Ahead of predicted snowstorms, a specialty crew from Maine Mountain Post & Beam was on Cobbs Bridge Road last week helping Thelma Maguire and Jim Carty’s barn take shape. Guided by the team, a crane operator lowered roof trusses into place.
A return visit the next day showed that, following longstanding tradition, the structure had been topped out – with a very-local-looking fir. Owner Jim Carty has told passersby that the new structure uses timbers from a barn built with traditional techniques in the early 19th century. Repurposed timbers were evident from the road on a brilliant, cold day.
In April 2022, when the Maguire-Carty barn project was before the Planning Board, it drew an enthusiastic welcome. Neighbors cited preservation of open space, a traditional agricultural use, barn materials and design suited to its location within the Historic Overlay district, and – not least – the owners’ plan to introduce two Highland cows to the meadow.
If livestock do make the trip to 170 Cobbs Bridge Road, New Gloucester will have Highland cows bookending two corners of town. While the Carty-Maguire barn is being raised, Shaker Village has announced a barn-lowering on January 15, along with MLK Day of Service activities. The Shakers’ Highland cattle will likely be out that day, placidly observing the goings-on.
— Joanne Cole
