I have entitled the photo below “Old Glory” for obvious reasons. Although the image possesses all the qualities of our flag, it is a photo of what is now officially known as the “Star Barn”. The Star Barn was built in 1877 by Colonel John Motter upon returning from his service in the Union army. It was part of a 144-acre commercial horse farm situated on the fertile land just outside the village of Highspire, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. As carpenter gothic revival architecture was most commonly incorporated into churches and houses, its appearance in a barn makes this a very rare example of the style. However, had I used a wide-angle lens instead of a telephoto, you would immediately recognize the similarity in design between this structure designed to shelter God’s creatures, and that to house God’s worshippers. I do not think that it is any coincidence that the Star Barn was built with a spire that rivals that of any church in grandeur or height.
In its near 150-year history, the Star Barn was a witness to significant change. As the horse became an obsolete form of transportation, the barn was repurposed as a dairy barn. It remained in this role until the 1980’s. By this time, the once bucolic farm had shrunk to an island of just a few acres, surrounded by the rising tide of the Harrisburg suburbs. Yet another afront to its agrarian heritage, a four-lane superhighway was constructed just 75’ from it’s doors. The structure was exposed to a constant bombardment of vehicle pollutants and the saline spray sent airborne by winter-time traffic. After years of insufficient maintenance, the integrity of the barn had been compromised and its continued existence was in question.
Several grass roots movements failed in their altruistic efforts to save the Star Barn from collapse. Fortunately, a local charitable organization recognized the cultural and spiritual significance of the Star Barn. They were able to negotiate the acquisition of the Star Barn and received the numerous approvals required to relocate this priceless monument to nearby Lancaster County. They carefully disassembled the barn, post by post. Components that were beyond restoration were reproduced by hand. When the adoptive location was ready to receive her, the barn was rebuilt to her original glory. Although no longer used to shelter animals, the Star Barn now has a new life as a wedding venue. A fitting purpose for a barn originally built in the style of a church.
The year of 1877 is also considered the end of the period immediately following the Civil War known as the “Reconstruction”. It was not just a period of rebuilding the ravaged southern infrastructure. It was also a period of reintegrating the South into the union of states. More importantly, it was a time of integrating hundreds of thousands of freed slaves into the nation’s citizenry. Reconstruction continued to be a time of great division between the North and South. Paradoxically, this period not only saw the adoption of the 14th Amendment, guaranteeing citizenship and its associated rights to the newly freed slaves, it also experienced the emergence of the Ku Klux Klan. Reconstruction was the beginning of a process of acceptance that remains incomplete to this very day.
As we approach Election Day, we are reminded that our democracy cannot be taken for granted. There are internal and external forces that want to raze this hallowed foundation. Its future depends upon constant maintenance and vigilance. If we only checked the framework of our house for termites every four years, we might find that by the time we identified the rot, it was too late to restore the house.
As the stewards of democracy, it is our responsibility to elect a president that can lead a “New Reconstruction”. Understand that this election will not unite the nation. As a matter of fact, it may well increase divisions. We need to elect a president that can not only heal a divided nation, but has the unselfish desire to rebuild it, piece by piece. It may not look exactly like the same country after reconstruction. However, it will better serve the needs of all its citizens.
