Kepler Barn short of fundraising goal as Penn State's demolition deadline nears

Yahoo

03-05-2025

Supporters hoping to save Centre County's historic Kepler Barn from demolition are still searching for 'barn champions' — those able to donate five- or six-figure sums — as the fundraising deadline draws closer and the fundraising goal remains unmet.
Less than 30 days are left until Penn State's imposed May 31 fundraising deadline and, according to organizers, less than $50,000 has so far been raised toward the $500,000 goal. Supporters are hoping the university will consider granting an extension through August, since they were given less than three months to raise the funds.
Organizers believe that Penn State's Ag Progress Days, the state's largest agricultural exposition from Aug. 12-14, provides the best chance to gain new supporters and others willing to donate to stabilize and preserve the barn.
'Until that bulldozer — whatever — shows up on the property, there's still hope,' said Vicky Kepler Didato, the great-great-great granddaughter of the farm's early owners. 'And we will keep requesting another deadline through Ag Progress Days.'
Kepler Barn is believed by the family to be more than 200 years old, with the original structure first built in 1818 and a large expansion having occurred between the 1830s and 1860s. From 1929 through the 1970s, the farm just west of Pine Grove Mills was also run by farming pioneer Millie Kepler, a widow who — during World War II — was dubbed the 'Rosie the Riveter of the farm world.'
After Millie's death in 1990, the property changed hands 2-3 times before it was sold to Penn State in 2006. That property is now part of the 2,000 acres that make up the land around the university's Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center.
Penn State did not appear to have much interest in the barn at the time of purchase, and it mostly sat there, undisturbed but without repairs — until Kepler Didato, who lives in Ohio, learned about three years ago of Penn State's plans to tear it down. The Historic Barn and Farm Foundation of Pennsylvania (HBFF) also became a vocal leader of the barn's preservation once it learned of the situation.
'Penn State started as an agricultural college and, to me, they should be saving barns if they can,' HBFF President Priscilla deLeon previously told the CDT.
Kepler Didato, who still fondly remembers 'Aunt Millie,' said family members all knew her as a hard-working, thoughtful woman who never gave up. Kepler Didato said her uncles and cousins would often tell each other, 'I don't know, but I'll figure it out' — a saying Millie lived by. After all, she survived the Great Depression, the death of her husband, the early death of her son and a bank foreclosure notice en route to an unlikely and successful farming career.
So, when Kepler Didato is asked what she'll do now, or how supporters might pivot, she still countered with the same response: 'I don't know, but I'll figure it out.'
She said she's recently spoken to state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte. She said several Penn State trustees have reached out to her. And she's been in contact with various other groups and organizations, in addition to making numerous appearances on radio and other media.
'I'm still fighting because this is something worth fighting for,' Kepler Didato said earlier this week.
She doesn't know if Penn State will grant an extension. She doesn't know if enough money will be raised in time, even if the university gives supporters another few months. But she hopes the worst-case scenario, demolition, can still be done in a way that preserves a few things.
For example, she'd like to see the university save the hand-blown glass lightning rods atop the barn. And she's already been in contact with an HGTV reality show that salvages antique barns and uses their timber in existing structures.
Kepler Didato warned she didn't want to sound overly dramatic. But a family member was forced to undergo a transplant a few years ago, and she choked up while explaining how the aim of the reality show felt a little similar: If Kepler Barn can't be saved, maybe it can help save other barns.
But those thoughts don't mean she's any less focused now on saving Kepler Barn, even if she understands it's a long shot. A Penn State spokesperson told the CDT that no demolition date has yet been set and the university is open to exploring 'alternative options' to traditional demolition if the fundraising goal is not met.
For its part, the university has also explained — if the demolition goes through — a historical sign or commemorative plaque would be considered in the vicinity of where the barn stands. Select materials could be salvaged, and the Pasto Agricultural Museum is already developing a digital storytelling initiative titled 'Land and Legacy of Rock Springs,' an effort that would start with the Kepler family and farm.
Kepler Didato and other supporters just hope it doesn't come to that.
'I'm going to pursue whatever options I can right up until that bulldozer shows up,' she said. 'If it was worth fighting for five years ago, it's still worth fighting for with 30 days left.'
Donations are now being accepted online at preservationpa.app.neoncrm.com/campaigns/save-the-kepler-barn. (The current listed donation total may not be accurate.) However, those interested can also send checks and note 'Kepler Barn' in the memo to:
Preservation Pennsylvania1230 N. 3rd St., Suite 1Harrisburg, PA 17102
A previous in-person fundraiser at Pine Grove Hall offered donors the option of having their funds returned (minus a 5% administrative fee) or passed along to the HBFF if the fundraising goal was not met. Preservation Pennsylvania did not immediately return a message seeking clarity, and it was not immediately known if that option was available online.