This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.
FERGUSON TOWNSHIP — Centre County was at risk of losing a landmark at the end of June, but local community members and organizations were not willing to give up the historic Kepler Barn easily.
A three-month hold has been placed on the demolition of the barn, which is owned by Penn State and is located at Rock Springs along state Route 45 in Ferguson Township. This hold follows a one-month hold that was placed on the demolition for the month of June.
Kepler Barn was first purchased by Jacob Kepler in the early 1800s. In the 1830s, his son, Johann Jacob Kepler, purchased the land surrounding the barn.
The 1850s agricultural census showed that the farm produced the largest amount of livestock and grains in Ferguson Township at the time.
Johann’s grandson, Aaron Charles Keppler, married Millie Kerchner Kepler, taking over the farm. After Aaron died in 1929, Millie continued to handle the farm and the upkeep that came with it.
The barn holds historical value to the community — not only due to its age but also due to how Millie Kepler ran the barn after her husband died, explained Priscilla deLeon, president of the Historic Barn and Farm Foundation of Pennsylvania.
“I believe Millie Kepler’s legacy is in the inspiration that it provides to younger generations of women in general, but particularly women in farming occupations,” said Mary Sorensen, executive director of the Centre County Historical Society. At the time, it was uncommon to find women solely running farms. Millie continued to run the farm up until her death in 1990, and Penn State went on to purchase it for its College of Agricultural Sciences’ Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center.
The college purchasing barns and farmland in Centre County for its program is not out of the ordinary. However, when the Historic Barn and Farm Foundation discovered Penn State did not have the budget to maintain the barn, the foundation went into action to preserve it.
“We started making phone calls and through the Lancaster Farming paper put the word out to everybody,” said deLeon. “It kind of grew into this great team of people from all walks of life.”
Originally, the Historic Farm and Barn Foundation of Pennsylvania requested a monthlong hold on the demolition of the Millie Kepler Barn at the end of May 2024.
“We already asked for an extension, and we received one until Sept. 30,” said deLeon, explaining how Penn State has been cooperative throughout the process, being accommodating and open to talking with them.
The barn, which is on a portion of land that makes up a more than 2,000 acre agricultural research facility, was dubbed structurally unsound and unsafe by the university, and the university noted it did not have the budget to complete renovations needed to combat the barn’s age, conditions and hazardous materials in it. Still, the university is looking into alternative options for the barn, which includes engaging with organizations to help with the preservation of it.
“The community that is aware of the barn are very active,” said deLeon, “We need to spread the word to grow that community and have more people interested.”
