In February 1999, we featured the brand new Gambrel Barn Home of Mike and Jane Cowan. Mike is an Auto Tech at Lechners Service in Green, NY and Jane, his wife, is Chief, Cook & Bottle Washer and self proclaimed "Ramrod" of the project!

Together with their sons, Matthew and Brian, and the kind assistance of Jane's Dad, Russ McBride, and her brothers Bill and Sean McBride, these good folks set out to build their home with lumber milled from the Hemlock trees growing right on their own property in Oxford, NY.

The Cowans used our 28'x 40' two story Gambrel Barn House blueprints to build their home, extended the length to 42' to fit the floor plan they designed and built the whole thing over a full basement! Project nearly finished, Mike & Jane are planning their "house-warming" for later this Summer.

Mathew's driving the rest of the kids past the lumber pile. Mike & Jane had a man come onto their property last year with a portable mill and swapped him their hardwood stand for all the rough-cut Hemlock they needed to build their new Barn Home. Heck of a deal!!

With the foundation and slab already poured, Matt and Brian help Dad set the last couple courses of block for the 28'x 42' full basement.

Jane's brother, Sean (on scaffold) and other brother Bill, help Mike set the main girder under the expert supervision of Jane's dad, Russ.

The main players in this drama..... Bill McBride, Mike Cowan and Russ McBride. Looks like they're done with the first floor and ready to go up with the walls.

You gotta love the ingenuity here. Mike's answer to a "Sky Hook".......a 35' tree and a Block & Tackle. Nicely done, gentlemen!! I want this guy for my neighbor!

Now that's a good days work! 14 down..... 18 to go. Jane said the guys found the blueprints very helpful, especially when it came to the trusses. "The idea to build the truss in a 'jig' right there on the second floor worked out great and the step-by-step instructions were right on the money!"

Well then, here's the nearly finished "Barn Shell" with full basement and most of the interior walls framed and ready for plumbing and electrical. Although still a "work in progress", Mike and his family have gotten this far from May to November of '98 while holding down a full time job, taking care of the kids and the animals...... not to mention battling the elements. It's this kind of ingenuity and fortitude that makes us here at BarnPlans want to take off our hats for a minute and give the Cowan family a real honest "Atta Boy!!" Nice job, you guys!!

Check out their floor plans...

Mike, Jane, Mathew and Brian Cowan