BEAVERCREEK, Ohio — Three years after the 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes ripped through the Dayton area, Beavercreek marked a milestone in its recovery. 

City leaders and historic preservationists gave visitors their first look at the new Wartinger Barn, a replica of the 150-year-old piece of history destroyed in the aftermath of the storms. With the gathering and educational space, reborn, the parks department said they hope it will serve the community for generations to come.

On the evening of May 27, 2019, a tornado outbreak left two people dead and $1 billion in damages.

An EF-3 tornado damaged dozens of homes and businesses in Beavercreek and the centerpiece of the city’s historic Wartinger Park, the Tobias-Zimmer Barn.

The barn was built in 1858 and moved to the park after a donation from the Zimmer family. For decades, it served as a gathering space for the community, hosting public events, weddings and school field trips.

When the tornado ripped through, Kim Farrell, the park’s superintendent, said the storm broke the building beyond repair. Three of its walls collapsed and pieces were stripped off and blown away.

She said she asked the community what they would like to see in its place, and overwhelmingly, responders said they wanted the barn back.  

The Tobias-Zimmer Barn (Michelle Alfini/Spectrum News 1)

Using the city’s insurance funds, Farrell said the parks department worked with historic preservationists to redesign the 150-year-old barn and rebuild an exact replica, using materials and methods from the 19th century. 

“The building of the barn itself was the quickest part. I think it took about two months to put all the walls up and to do all the carpentry,” she said. “But it feels fantastic now that it’s all done and we can welcome the community into the barn.”

Mark Wiley, president of the Beavercreek Historical Society, and Bob Zimmer, the original donor of the barn, attested to the accuracy of the place. Both came to the ribbon cutting Tuesday and were glad to get a glimpse of the new piece of history.

“Everything’s as close to the original as it could be,” Zimmer said.

Exhibits inside the Tobias-Zimmer Barn (Michelle Alfini/Spectrum News 1)

Inside, the barn was filled with 19th century farming equipment and pieces recovered from the tornado. Wiley said the historical society worked hard to salvage what they could so they could reclaim the city’s history.

“Our intention is to put it back as closely as we can to what it was before, but also tell the story of the 19th century in Beavercreek and what farming was like and what life was like,” he said.

The next public event scheduled for the barn is the historical society’s living history event which brings third graders to the barn to learn about the community’s roots, but Farrell and Wiley said they’d like the barn to be even more accessible to the public. 

Farrell said she’s already getting private booking requests, and arranging plans to add additions like bathrooms and other facilities to encourage the public to spend more time in the park. 

As for the building’s future, Wiley said the architects and builders behind the project did their best to preserve the barn for generations to come. 

“The only difference is there’s a more modern foundation and hopefully if there’s another storm like the last one, this thing will stand up,” he said.