Preservation in Progress at the Lyon Farm

Photo by Kelly Jordan.

At the Lyon Farm, construction is moving quickly as workers continue with efforts to conserve DeKalb County’s oldest homestead. Phase II of the Lyon historic preservation project, funded by the DeKalb County government and coordinated by the County government, the Arabia Alliance, Flat Rock Archives, and Lewallen Construction, is focusing on preserving farm outbuildings like the smokehouse, sorghum mill, and more!

Like many functional outbuildings, the smokehouse was never meant to be static – smokehouses, sheds, barns, and other agricultural buildings were often under continuous repair and upkeep when the Lyon Farm was an active farm. In order to preserve history at the site, we are carefully disassembling and then reassembling the smokehouse. This process will include taking steps to stabilize the structure, which will allow it to remain an integral part of the Lyon Farm’s history going forward. You can see that each board in the building is marked so that workers can put the pieces back together in the correct order when ready. 

The workshop, which will not need a complete disassembling like the smokehouse, is being stabilized as parts of the walls and various structural elements are being replaced. As part of the historic preservation process, new boards that match the preexisting structure were chosen to ensure that the overall character and look of the building remains the same, even as stabilization necessitates replacing some of the older components. 

Similarly, the sorghum mill will need some new materials to repair the chimney and side wall. Masons will use mortar and old bricks that match the preexisting materials, preserving the historic elements of the mill.

We will continue to provide updates about the historic preservation work underway at the Lyon Farm as it progresses.