Update: A while after I wrote this one of Jim’s relatives e-mailed to say the Barnhouse had burned down!!  Sad to hear when things that were such a cool part of your life and memories are no longer there.  Let this post be a memory!

There is a place off the beaten path that is both amazing and unbelievable. I dug out the copy of the video I “borrowed” from the library years back so I could show you some pics and a short video.

It’s called the Barn House and is located just outside Spencer, Indiana. I first became aware of this cultural abnormality when I was in high school. (I lived just a few miles away.) An odd man named Jim Pendleton has been building his creation since 1972.

The Barn House contains 41 rooms, 15 stairways and 15 walking decks. There are secret passages and tunnels, peepholes, a room with 688 hats, a prayer alcove, and a “quickie” room (where a “man and woman can do their business.”). Jim recommends that visitors sun themselves in the nude on his sun decks.

Getting to the Barn House isn’t easy and getting in is even harder. To start, Jim lives in the middle of BFE (Butt-Fuc*king Egypt - a term we used a lot in high school to describe out of the way places.) When I was in high school Google Maps were just a dream. To make things even more difficult you couldn’t just go at your convenience. The state had condemned the place years earlier and legally you were not allowed to set foot in the Barn House. You had to go at night and after 10 p.m. It took a bit of bravado to actually knock on Jim’s door. His properly was intimidating and resembled a junkyard — filled with old cars and various other bits of junk. Once Jim actually let you in you had to sign in on a guest book and usually talk to him for a few minutes. He was most always drunk but did have some interesting stories to share. He was happy to tell you about the history of the Barn House or anything else you wanted to know. I’ll let crazy Jim explain further: (Quicktime .mov)

Click here to see the video.

Filed under: Cultural Curiositites