Manning Haus Barn Committee members continue to be pleased and encouraged by the continual growth of support from people outside the local community. Most recently, a Texas man has come forward to volunteer his help in reconstruction of the haus barn in Manning.

Heinz Voss, a retired carpenter from Houston, Texas, drove to Manning in December to get a look at the community and the haus barn. He talked with haus barn committee member Dan Peters about the project.

Voss told Peters he worked in construction of haus barns in Germany as a young man. He left Germany in 1953 and came to the United States in 1962. He has been working in construction in the U.S. since that time. He now would like to work on the Manning project.

Voss first read about the haus barn project in the Amerika Woche, a German newspaper published in Chicago. The paper has the largest German-American readership in the United States.

He spent several weeks in Germany visiting his family and, while there, took the opportunity to visit the outdoor museum at Molfsee where he visited at length with Dr. Carl Ingwer Johannsen and some of the men who assisted in the dismantling of Manning's haus barn. Voss also attained copies of plans showing the numbering system of the pieces and some verbal information which will be useful in the reconstruction process.

Following his visit to Manning, Voss wrote the following letter to the haus barn committee:

12-17-1996
To the Manning Haus Barn Committee
Dear friends,

I did get the word around, I do need old oak lumber 5/5" x 10' or longer to build a German 250 year old Haus Barn in Iowa for a Heritage Museum.

Everybody is enthusiastic about the project and all do agree, there is some oak lumber laying around somewhere in the USA. It would be a shame, if we can not build the barn like it was original 250 years ago.

I did mention 2 weeks ago I do need one men with me at all the time. If I have 2 or 3 men it will go so much faster. I would like, if there is a young man in Manning to become a carpenter apprentice so he can talk about the construction of the barn 50 years from now. To work as a carpenter apprentice be also a good foundation to become a construction engineer.

If no young men in Manning like to become a carpenter apprentice you may contact the carpenter union in Sioux City or Des Moines or Omaha.

Before I come to Manning in mid April '97, I may like to talk to Dr. Johannsen and to the reed roofer in Freemann if you send me the name and address. I maybe fly in the end of March.

Now I wish you all a Merry Christmas.
Yours
Heinz Voss

----------------------------------------------------------------

Voss intends to return to Manning around April 15 to work on the reconstruction until September. He has stated he would like to have a minimum of one helper and a place to stay here. He plans to proceed as follows:

*Sort all wood timbers for assembling. Determine pieces that need fixing and replacing. Make replacement beams and any missing or additional pieces. In other words, see that all parts are accounted for and available before assembly begins.

*Lay out and supervise the construction of all needed footings and foundations.

*Attach sills all around on the footings. Sills need to be made of oak.

*Begin the structure construction. He believes the superstructure or skeleton can be erected, but doubts it can be ready for the roof by winter. He thinks the roof must wait until 1998.