October 8, 2004

Mr. Sam and Ms. Peggy Stitt
Barnwrights
Great Lakes Barn Preservation, LLC
6611 One Mile Road
Hesperia, MI 49421

RE: The Whitetail Project -- Historic Barn Relocation and Reconstruction

Dear Sam and Peggy:

As this exciting phase of our development of Whitetail comes to a close, we wanted to thank you again for your fine effort and workmanship in completing the acquisition, dismantling, relocation, reassembly and historic preservation of our 19th century three by English barn.

Your team did an outstanding job through each phase of the project, and for that, we are truly appreciative. Having previously won two civic awards for Historic Preservation in the Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie School of Architecture historic District in Oak Park, Illinois, I am the first to admit to being focused, detail oriented and challenging customer.

When I appeared with hand made nails and strap hinges consistent with the era for you to install, you were enthused, not hassled by their challenge. The stone base I wanted surrounding the foundation to create consistency with our handcrafted log cabin presented the need for a thoughtful sliding barn door clearance solution, which was accomplished. Your willingness to rent your on site lift to my muralist helped to ease the difficulty of painting the patriotic period flag on the east end, and saved me hard earned money. You showed up when agreed, kept a clean and tidy sit4e, and delivered the type of quality and craftsmanship that is consistent with a bygone era.

As you know, I have a twinkle in my eye for more farm buildings on our rolling 87 acres. You can be sure that when the time is right, we will be working together again. Perhaps by then, your grandson, Sam Stitt V, will be pounding the pegs and worrying that the angle of the reconstructed hay pulley system is just right. Thankfully, if he can’t quite remember, Peggy will have taken a reference picture before it was ever dismantled.

Thank you again for a fine job, well done.

Kindest personal regards,

Ralph & Jody Gerbie

Muskegon Chronicle (Bringing down the barn)