Description of Historic Place

The Swanson Barn is a Municipal Heritage Property located in the yard site of the Swanson Farm in the Rural Municipality of Willowdale No. 153. Built in 1947, the property features a log barn clad with cedar shingles.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Swanson Barn lies in its historic use as a barn and its association with the community. Logs purchased form the nearby Ochapowace First Nation were milled at the farm by Nander Bernard Swanson and his son Al in the winter of 1946-1947 and used to build the barn the following spring. Barns such as this were used to shelter farm equipment and livestock from the elements and were essential buildings on any prarie farm. The Swanson Barn is a standing reminder of the importance of agriculture to this community and the self-reliance of Saskatchewan’s early farmers.

Source:

Rural Municipality of Willowdale No. 153 Bylaw No.2003-01.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Swanson Barn resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements relating the building’s historic use, such as the form and massing of the building, log construction, cedar shakes, and the two cupolas on the roof;
-those elements reflecting association with the community, such as the building’s orientation in the farm yard.