The Unruh Barn is a two-story barn built during the 1870s on the east side of Marsh Road, south of Tihart Road. Used by the Unruh family across two generations, it was donated by the Eyde family in 1991 — completing the farmstead area of the Village and giving visitors a full picture of rural Michigan farm life.
What You'll See
The barn serves as both an educational space and a working demonstration area:
- Antique farming implements — tools and equipment used by Michigan farmers in the 19th century
- Blacksmith demonstration area — where volunteers demonstrate the essential craft of the village blacksmith
- Functional corn sheller and grist mill — used during school programs so students can experience the hands-on work of processing grain
Role in School Programs
The barn plays a key role in the Village's "Extended Chore Activities" programs, where students participate in hands-on activities like:
- Corn shelling and grinding
- Learning about 19th-century farming techniques
- Understanding the role of the barn in sustaining a family farm
History
The Unruh family worked this land for two generations, and their barn represents the type of working agricultural building that was central to every Michigan farmstead. When the Eyde family donated the barn to Friends of Historic Meridian, it brought the Village's farmstead area to completion — creating an authentic grouping of farmhouse, barn, and outbuildings that tells the full story of rural Michigan life.