Rural Studio Tour: outside the Red Barn

Semper tempus creo.

Liane and I had been wanting to make a visit to the Rural Studio ever since moving back to ‘Bama… almost two years ago (!). But our being steadily plagued by a drought in spare-time had kept us from making the small, south-westerly road trip toward Hale, Perry and Marengo Counties…

…until last Friday.

Our first stop was Newbern (pop. 231) and the Red Barn.

The Red Barn.

Formerly an old hay barn (and a frequent and favorite subject for the artist William Christenberry), it has served as the design studio and “academic hub” for second-year and thesis students since being rehabbed in 2002 under the supervision of Rural Studio Director Andrew Freear—who, on our arrival this Halloween day, was just inside leading a round of student reviews dressed as a Nudie-suited Elvis (sorry, no pictures).

Rust never sleeps.

Red Barn patchwork.

Jack-o'-lanterns

Next to the Red Barn, there’s the Newbern Post Office, and a little general store—G.B.’s Mercantile—where we stopped in for an RC Cola and a Moon Pie (OK… two Moon Pies… chocolate and banana).

The Red Barn, Newbern Post Office and G.B.'s Mercantile (aka downtown Newbern).

36765–9998

Pump outside G.B.'s Mercantile.

Pup outside G.B.'s Mercantile.

Together, these buildings, along with a very stately and distinctive building just across the street (about which, more later), are downtown Newbern.