Barns are a part of the vernacular architecture which can inform us about the past, and as such have a well established role in historical preservation.  In the case of the Threlkeld barn its location, and its association with individuals and events in Charleston's past combine with its structural characteristics to make it a significant  element in the historical landscape.

Barn's are an interesting part of the landscape since they were typically constructed out of locally available materials, and structurally based on functional needs which often tended to reflect the cultural and agricultural traditions of their owners.  The Threlkeld barn is a classic example of an  English Barn with its vertical wooden siding, and the typical "salt box" roof extension on one side to provide storage which was out of the main flow of the work area in the barns central core.  To see more on barns as historical artifacts see the the National Park Services page on The Preservation of Historic Barns .

The Threlkeld Barn today is different from its origin, in terms of both structure and location.  The post card view of the barn and the Blakeman bridge below, dated 1911, reflects the extent of these changes.

On the basis of this view of the barn it would seem that the present day structure is somewhat smaller than the original, in part due to the removal of the extension on the end of the barn.  The orientation of the barn is also very different as in this view the steeper side of the 'salt box' roof faces north, whereas today it is on the east side.  How much these changes reflect alterations to the barn as its agricultural function changed, and how much can be attributed to the fact that the barn was moved to accommodate Route 130 is difficult to determine.

The site where the Threlkeld Barn is located has a played a long and rich role in Charleston's history.  Local lore has it that this location was a important river crossing from the earliest days of settlement in the county and that one of the early mills in the region was located near where the barn currently stands.

In 1897 the city of Charleston decided to solve its perennial water shortage by constructing a small dam with a fish ladder on the Embarrass river near the site of the early mill.  In 1907, in conjunction with the development of the dam, and the building of the Blakeman bridge the Threlkeld family, which owned a farm adjacent to the Embarrass River, developed Riverview Park just upstream from the dam..  The post card view of the park below, from 1908, indicates the extent of the undertaking.

A brief biography of Erle Threlkeld which appears in the 1918 Coles County Farmer's Directory indicates that he had resided in the county since 1871, that he was married and the owner of Riverview Farm, which consisted of 280 acres in Section 24.  This is a rather understated sketch of a most interesting and innovative individual.

The mere fact that Erle Threlkeld had managed to acquire a farm of 280 acres, in a county where the average farm size in 1920 was just over 100 acres suggests that he was a bit more accomplished than his contemporaries.  The entrepreneurial skill needed to develop and sustain a recreational facility like Riverview Park would indicate that he was a successful and innovative businessmen.  In addition to these accomplishments, one of the more suprising career initiatives that he apparently conducted with some success was a career in entertainment and song writing.  The brief biographical materials available indicate that Erle Threlkeld was for several years actively involved in the Vaudeville Circuit as a singer and entertainer, and that along with his brother Leo, he produced and distributed a number of musical arrangements.  The high point of this musical production apparently occurred around WW1 as several examples of his work from that period can be found in sheet music collections in such diverse locations as  Johns Hopkins University ,  The University of New Hampshire  and   Indiana State University .

One example of the type of sheet music that was produced can be seen below.