Built: 1857
Reclaimed by Rustic Grain: 2017
Located: 38.9331710, -92.7459249
Boonville holds a special place in the Nummela history. One evening driving back from our rustic cabin in central Missouri, our grandmother’s minivan broke down. Tim was a pipsqueak, his sister wasn’t much bigger, and we were a mile from this barn’s exit at Highway B. We started to walk, but a kind couple picked us up and drove us to the Bobber Cafe, where Grandma was able to contact an uncle (because no cell phones) who came from St. Louis and loaded us up in a tiny Omni to take us home. For hours we hung out at that truckstop doing who knows what–I’m pretty sure ice cream was involved. Years later, we could still point out the spot where Grandma’s van broke down.
Meanwhile, this lovely barn was holding down the fort just a mile away. It was already a hundred years old even though Tim had years before he picked up his first power tool. Still this barn was sheltering animals and feed and equipment, much like the old Bobber Cafe sheltered us as we waited. Now it’s gaining new life in restaurants, homes, and businesses adding its own warmth and beauty to these spaces.