5/1/2009 9:33:00 AM Barn of the year ... Historic Fling Barn wins state award Folsom structure now serves as reception center
The Fling Barn this week received the 2009 Ohio Barn of the Year Award from the Friends of Ohio Barns.
Fling
The Times-Gazette
FOLSOM - There are barns, and then there's the century-old, green-roofed structure situated in the gently rolling hills of southern Highland County known as the Fling Barn.
Situated on a 200-acre family farm off state Route 247, near Folsom, the Fling Barn this week received the 2009 Ohio Barn of the Year Award from the Friends of Ohio Barns.
Bill Fling, who owns and operates the event center, accepted the award at the 10th annual Friends of Ohio Barns Conference in Bluffton.
"The Friends of Ohio Barns is a society interested in preservation of old barns," Fling said. "My barn won Barn of the Year for Adaptive Use."
The conference includes speeches by FOB President Ric Beck and keynote speaker Bill Kimball of the Michigan Preservation Network.
The conference activities also included demonstrations of timber hewing and milling techniques, timber framing repairs, a mini-barn raising, as well as other demonstrations and displays.
The Friends of Ohio Barns will hold their annual picnic at the Fling Barn on Sept. 19. Fling said he anticipates a crowd of 200 people or more. The event is open to the public.
The former livestock barn, built by Fling's great-grandfather, has been renovated to host banquets, receptions and private parties.
After retiring as a veterinarian in California, Fling returned to the family farm and says he enjoys the natural beauty of southern Ohio. "Whenever we have people from the city come out, they say they always leave feeling so relaxed," Fling told The Times-Gazette. "It is very, very relaxing out here."
On Saturday, May 2, popular area band Blue Steel will perform at the barn from 8 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are $5. The Fling Barn is located at 8205 W. Berrysville Road. For more information, call (937) 393-8200 or visit www.flingbarn.com.
