First it was the state, now it’s federal—the Miller Red Barn at Gilroy’s Christmas Hill Park has made it onto the National Register of Historic Places.
The cavernous barn, located next to playing fields and recently used as storage for the Garlic Festival was built by Henry Miller, the cattle king of California and at one time one of the largest landowners in the West.
According to research conducted by the Miller Red Barn Committee, a volunteer organization formed when the barn was at risk of being demolished, the structure was built by Miller in 1891 when he was 64 years old to store and process fruit.
Part of the Glen Ranch property Miller bought in the 1880s, there were 26 acres of fruit trees, peaches, apples, pears, prunes and later wine grapes. Miller’s orchard was planted all the way to Hanna Street.
Before Miller’s death in 1916, a portion of Glen Ranch was leased to Las Animas Winery. Wine production boomed in that period and the Southern Pacific ran a train line directly to the winery. A connection to the California Wine Association was forged during this time, which gives added historical importance to the land. In 1941, the ranch was sold to the Filice family to raise wine grapes for the San Martin Winery.
For the MIller Red Barn Committee, the national designation is a crowning achievement, but there is still work to be done.
“The stunning thing about preservation is you begin with something that already exists and therefore is already by definition ‘local,’” said committee member, Gary Walton. “Repairing what has been neglected over time is actually the easy part of any preservation project. We’ve come to understand that only a small part of preservation is about looking backward; it is more about looking forward, paying homage to earlier cultures and mentalities to which you can add a new dimension, a new function, a new beauty or appeal.”
He added: “Ultimately, the success of the Miller Red Barn preservation effort will be judged by how well we develop the ideas, partnerships and funding to accomplish that goal.”
On Sept. 24, the barn committee hosted a fundraiser dinner at the Gilroy VFW Hall with more than 80 people attending. Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, benefactors and members of the community, the event raised enough to cover Phase I of the rehabilitation project, said committee member, Kathy Chavez.
“Phase I will include securing the barn against animals and birds and repairing the roof,” she said. “The biggest challenge to the clean-up of the barn was the biohazard waste from birds and bats, which encouraged the feral cats to take up residence outside the barn. The roof of the barn is in serious disrepair and needs securing against the elements, especially the wind forces which can literally raise the roof.”
Chavez added: “The barn is now cleared of debris which blocked the view of the foundation and siding. The architects and building experts can better assess next steps for future phases of rehabilitation. The funds will go toward architectural drawings and future phasing of the work.”
All the funds raised will be matched dollar for dollar by a generous grant from the L’Aiglon Foundation, she said.
