Gilroy's Miller Red Barn Gets Support To Restore Community Roots

GILROY, CA — Through tragedy comes a rebuilding of a community with roots that date back to 1891 — this in the form of a red barn standing strong at Christmas Hill Park.

The Miller Red Barn, an icon for this agricultural city that tells Henry Miller's inner story of pioneer ranching in southern Santa Clara County, moved one step closer to becoming the educational center it's destined to be with a $297,008 grant awarded by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors last week to restore the structure.

Now on city, state and national registries of historic places, the Miller Red Barn needs replacements for its foundation that sits on mud fill, concrete floor and support beams that have rotted through the years. The barn association also plans to make the wannabe ag visitor center handicap accessible to satisfy government guidelines.

The award was approved at the supervisors' Aug. 27 meeting upon recommendations from the Historical Heritage Commission. The timing couldn't have been any better — fiscally and emotionally.

The $297,008 will be earmarked to help lift the barn to create a safe and durable foundation. With that, fencing will be erected and other structural upgrades from floor to ceiling are due to consume the funds. When completed with the help of Morgan Hill contractor Mark Garrison, the educational center will help visitors learn about the crops grown in the region. Engineering drawings are anticipated to be submitted to the city in about a month.

Association board members Richard and Patti Perino were gratified with the gift from the county.

"The amount of money from this grant would have taken five- to 10 years to get (through fundraisers)," she told Patch.

He estimated the barn will need another $775,000 to achieve the mission of full restoration. The association has hosted fundraisers to build on the funds. The last one involving an authentic Italian dinner was instead diverted to relief efforts related to the July 28 mass shooting during the Garlic Festival, which was staged at the park.

The shooting claimed the lives of four people including the gunman, injured 20 and rocked the community to its small hometown core.

So healing the community in whatever form or fashion is the calling of Gilroy.

When asked if the restoration of the barn provides a sense of healing, Patti declared: "Absolutely," in an emphatic way.

"This will be a venue where we can about the roots of our town and what we're really all about," she said.

With strength in numbers, this community of "Gilroy Strong" answers the call to move ahead by reflecting back to a special time of simple pleasures.

See also

• Miller Red Barn Fundraisers Show Gilroy History At Stake