The Cow Barn Story

A brief history, a drop in the bucket of the rich, abundant past that makes Cow Barn so special…

Odella and Albert Saulsbury built Cow Barn. Original construction was completed in 1911. The couple made their home in town and did not live at the farm while it was an active dairy. Their wealth was accomplished from success in the Saulsbury Brothers vegetable processing. Cow Barn dairy was an attempt to diversify. Unfortunately, the very first herd had to be euthanized due to severe illness. Cow Barn went through a few alternate business endeavors including scrapple making. The purchase of a new 150 pound pressure cooker seemed promising, but overnight the meat drippings fell upon the motor and the new machine exploded and ultimately the scrapple house became another unsuccessful endeavor. Cow Barn then became storage for many years. 

When the Great Depression hit Odella and Albert, like so many others, sold many of their homes and businesses in town. It was then when the family removed the Cow Barn silos and created a residence on the property. Odella developed the grounds into beautiful gardens and established a very prosperous business as a florist, with a garden center and nursery on-site. Cow Barn became a popular gathering place and Odella supported three generations with this lovely pursuit. 

Fast forward, Cow Barn became the place to celebrate special occasions of all types, even before we bought it in 2018. 

We are honored to carry on the Cow Barn legacy with beautiful celebrations while preserving the beautiful history of the property.

When you visit Cow Barn, picture yourself standing in Cow Barn's expansive loft, a space that once held mountains of loose hay. Imagine looking up, nearly 35 feet to the ceiling's peak, and seeing the track that guided the hay trolley. Follow the track and find the trolley itself, which carried the hay hook. This system, powered by pulleys, brought hay through the loft's high doors and dropped it to fill the space, reaching the top of the two prominent hay chutes. Cow Barn is unique in that it also utilized a ramp, demonstrating the use of horsepower to fill the loft.

With such rich history and so many beautiful features, Cow Barn is the perfect backdrop for all of life’s special moments, and we can’t wait to help create a celebration unique to you and your story!