For the Love of Home: a Renovated Barn and Farmhouse

I am so very excited to start this series For the Love of Home. And even more excited about the first home that I am going to showcase.....

circa 1918

No, that is not what the home looks like now....here it is now....

circa 2012

.....After many additions by previous owners, and the amazing renovation by the current owners, 

the Holtkamps!
This quirky farmhouse is full of old architectural details...and as I sat down with the lady of the house, it was fun to hear her stories of their renovation, as they tried to figure out how to make this house their home. 

I was so happy to finally meet this family, and am glad to now call them friends! For years we would just drive by and politely wave at each other...I watched from a distance as they renovated their home and barn....wishing I had enough guts to stop and introduce myself...and ask for a tour!!

This farmstead was built in {1863} by the Hilker family, and was a part of a larger acreage for the farming family. The original barn burnt to the ground and they reconstructed a second one...here is a photo of the barn in {1918}:

These pictures were given to the Holtkamps by a woman named Alma that was born and raised in the home. She stopped by one day to pay a visit to her childhood home and the present owners graciously gave her a tour of the newly renovated home. Later, she sent them a card to thank them for their generosity and for "making her day". She seemed very pleased with the work the Holtkamps had done and was happy to meet the young family and inserted original pictures of the home and barn for them to keep!

The Holtkamps originally purchased this homestead because of the barn and the settings around it. They lovingly restored the barn, and here it is now....

Their daughters came out to watch me take photos...cute as buttons in their jammies!

I think they have a future in modeling, don't you agree?

I love how, in the past, people would write on the front of their pictures, we have so many of my grandmother's that are similar. 

The "back porch" as seen in the older photo, has now become the Front Door.

As I walked around the property, you can clearly see their attention to detail and the hard work that this restoration took. The blood, sweat, tears, and most of all For the Love of Home shows through in the results. Someday, I would LOVE to show what they have done to the INSIDE of this beautiful home! The updates that they have added are with the intent for the next generation to enjoy.

I want to thank the Holtkamp family for letting me feature their home on my blog...and for my long awaited tour! This has been a dream of mine to write about, not just my own farm and home, but to see into the homes and lives of others and to share in the love we each have for our space we share with our families.

~Kim

p.s. If you, or someone you know, would like to be featured on For the Love of Home
please send me an email at Baileywife98@gmail.com