ensley barn

Ben Ensley's Barn

The Big Barn, as it is called, was built in 1869* around the same time that the main house and wind tower was built. It housed the Ensley Stage Stop. The stage, and other wagons, were loaded and unloaded in the basement through a trap door on the first floor. The stage entrance was on the side of the barn facing Newcosta Ave. Later the basement was filled in and the door for the stage was turned into a window. The first floor served as a loading dock. The 2nd and 3rd floor were for storage of crops and goods. The first floor of the barn was ripped out at a later time. The barn burned down on the evening of April 22, 2008 around 9:30pm in a ball of fire that was seen for miles. Click here to see a film of the fire.

Below are some pictures of the barn that were taken in the summer of 2007

North Side

Remains of the

Ensley Stage Stop
Notice trap door for stage

Retouched

1888 picture

Entrance to barn

Staircase

South Peak

South Wing

Remains of 1st Floor

2nd Floor

2nd Floor

South wall of 2nd floor

North Wing

North Wing

Inside North Wing

East Side of South Wing

East Side

Original Roof

Filled in Basement

The Fire

After the Fire

*Grand Rapids Press Sunday Nov. 12, 1967 Page 64

The Big Barn in 1924

(Photo courtesy of the Grant Public Library)

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