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MAIGazine Issue 14 - 2018 Edition FINAL Issue 14 - September 2018 10 The Brighton Barn Project - Preserving Brighton's Agricultural Heritage Catherine Stutt - Archives Volunteer, Brighton Digital Archives Photos courtesy of Brighton Digital Archives The sight of an old barn, weathered from countless storms, baked grey and faded by the sun, roofs sagging, and foundations sinking, is enough to catch the eye of even the most amateur photographer. Barns are rural architecture, rural industrial sites, and yet they represent so much more - a way of life handed down from generation to generation, a conquest of the surrounding land, a haven for livestock. While the Brighton area is known for its healthy agricultural-based economy, family farms and the iconic timber frame barns no longer dot the landscape as they once did. "Anecdotally, there are probably 10 barns lost for every barn left standing," shared D.W. (Fletch) Fletcher, who suggested a project designed to preserve and share these treasured buildings in a digital format. It would become part of a rapidly growing online presence, showcasing Brighton's history and heritage. In late 2015, Fletch, his wife Dorothy, Ralph de Jonge, and the author of this article banded together to form the Brighton Digital Archives (BDA). Absent for storage space of physical artifacts, the group dedicated its efforts toward populating a professional website, (http://vitacollections.ca/brightonarchives), with photos and documents from the community. Brighton has a core group of talented historians willing to share their work and resources, which helped with acquiring material. With a series of intake sessions and participation in the History Open House each February, community outreach resulted in an excellent response. The Brighton Barn Project, launched in 2017, required a completely different approach. Instead of scanning existing photos, the group had to create original content, and work quickly before more barns were lost to wind, weather, fire, and logistics. Built circa 1903, Bud and Jill Guertin's barn is beautifully maintained, and until recently was home to Breakaway Antiques, named for the tragic 1852 flood that swept through the property.