Picturesque Stafford barn destroyed by storm

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An iconic barn that stood for at least 60 years is gone.

The barn sat on a 90-acre property on Route 610 in Stafford County. It was mostly intact and was being used to store an old straw blower once used on the farm.

A severe thunderstorm blew through Stafford on Thursday night packing heavy lightning, high winds, and quarter-sized hail.

A strong gust of wind blew through Aaron Clark’s property and took down two massive trees, as well as what was left of the old barn.

Before the storm, it was clear the barn had seen better days. It was missing a sidewall that faced the west. It had deteriorated over the years.

With so few barns left in an area once rich in farmland turned suburban neighborhoods, the structure was popular with photographers who would knock on Clark’s door and ask if they could shoot the wooden building.

Potomac Local’s Mary Davidson did just that in 2012 while on assignment shooting photos across the seasons of the year.

“I’ve always loved the old barn and have stopped to photograph in on several occasions. It seems to defy all the new houses that spring up around it and must have so many stories to tell,” said Davidson.

Clark says he and his wife, Joanie, used to watch the Barnwood Builders show. The show follows woodworkers who go about restoring old 19th-century barns. Joanie always wanted to restore the barn and make it into a house, said Clark.

It was a project the two never started, as Joanie wife passed on three months ago after battling cancer.
She leaves behind Clark — her high school sweetheart — and four children.

“I think this is a sign from my wife that’s it’s now OK to build a house here now,” said Clark.