The red barn near Christmas Hill Park is an important piece of
Gilroy history. Dating to the days of Henry Miller, the cattle king
who eventually owned 26,000 acres of land in and around Gilroy,
it’s currently home to pigeons and serves as storage for the
Garlic Festival.
The red barn near Christmas Hill Park is an important piece of Gilroy history. Dating to the days of Henry Miller, the cattle king who eventually owned 26,000 acres of land in and around Gilroy, it’s currently home to pigeons and serves as storage for the
Garlic Festival.
Granted, those purposes hardly constitute the building’s highest and best use, but we think razing it is a bad idea. Why should the potentially beautiful historic structure be demolished to make way for a faux red barn on the site?
Why should this community reduce the red barn to rubble and relegate its history to a few photographs in a soul-less modern building.
The barn, built in the late 1800s, has at least one year before wrecking crews might attack it, according to Parks and Facilities Manager Bill Headley.
That gives Gilroy a year to try to save the historic red barn.
Frankly, we’re surprised there hasn’t been an outcry from residents who value the city’s agricultural and architectural history following the city’s announcement of its plans to raze the historically significant barn.
And given the paucity of buildings dating from the Henry Miller era, saving this building that so beautifully embodies two important parts of Gilroy’s culture and past. The red barn really ought to top preservationists’ lists.
Residents – especially folks with ties to the Gilroy Historical Society, the Historic Heritage Commission, the Garlic Festival and Gilroy’s agricultural roots ought to rally around the cause of saving the barn.
Instead of razing this building, which the city has owned since 1990 and has allowed to fall into a state of disrepair, let’s work together to save it.
There should be plenty of creative ideas.
A community center is a laudable goal, and if the barn can be saved and put to that purpose, fine. But let’s also consider renovating the barn for a use that’s closer to its original purpose.
Perhaps the Garlic Festival could house the “wine tent” there. Perhaps it can be restored for use by agriculture-related education programs like 4-H and FFA. Or perhaps it could become a living museum demonstrating ranch life in the late 19th century.
But whatever use it’s eventually put to, our community must first prevent bulldozers and wrecking balls from demolishing this important piece of Gilroy history.
Gilroy’s iconic red barn should be saved, restored and preserved. It’s a unique piece of our history.
