The small barn on an alley in Uptown Westerville has changed its colors again.
I began photographing this structure several years ago as part of the Westerville Life project. The building sits at the crossing of two lightly traveled alleys leading out of the center of the city. The roads bisect business and residential areas just a block off the main street through town.
My favorite photo from the series is above.
It shows the barn about two years ago when wild grape and poison ivy vines had almost coverted all its four walls leaving only the doors and windows free of their tendrils.
The barn sits within the preservation district in Uptown. Any modifications or upgrades to structures in that area needs to go through an approval process. Typical of historical restoration projects, even the color of paint and type of sidings are managed by the preservation approval process.
I’d heard through the grapevine (pardon the pun) that the building had come under the scrutiny of city inspectors for its disrepair. The siding was rotting along the bottom edge where it touched the ground and stayed moist. The siding also was separating from the building where iron nails had rusted and no longer held the boards tight to the frame.
I arrived one day at the alley crossroads to see that all the vines had been removed revealing the faded and peeling paint from the original structure. Although I’d enjoyed the vines for their color and contrast, their absence meant the building was probably going to be restored. If it was to be torn down it’s unlikely the vines would have come down withe the wrecking ball.
I stayed with the project as the siding was replaced and recently painted.
There’s a great pleasure in having documented, in a small way, the changes in this building. Most people pass it by in their cars as they are entering and exiting Uptown. Few, if any, walk past it and notice the changes.
It’s important that , as photographers, we take the time to document our surroundings. Just as so many people simply pass by unaware of the transformation, it’s our responsibility to create the photo legacy of these changes.
