LECOMPTON, Kan. (WIBW) – Where some might see an old barn ready for demolition, Tyler Christman sees history and potential.
The co-owner of Bald Eagle Barn Wood documents each structure board by board and nail by nail for his social media feeds, as their carefully dismantles barns that would otherwise be lost forever.
“It was built in 1886,” Christman said of their latest project near Gardner, Kan.
When he see a barn like that, Christman says he sees “history, hard work. They did everything by hand. You get to see the process that went into building.”
Christman said walking inside old barns is like stepping back in time.
“It’s kind of like a time capsule,” he said. “I think it’s really neat because a lot of people don’t get to see that.”
Business born from health challenge
Bald Eagle Barn Wood started in 2011 when Tyler’s father Darin Christman faced a health crisis. Darin had worked in the corporate world for years before being diagnosed with lymphoma.
During cancer treatment, Darin coped by building a man cave using materials salvaged from a shed someone wanted torn down. That project led to dismantling a dairy barn, which grew into the current business.
“There’s lumber out here from 10-15 barns at least,” Tyler Christman said as he toured their inventory at their home base just outside Lecompton.
Tyler navigates the terrain from a wheelchair. He was born with cerebral palsy, and jumped into the business when he noticed his father wasn’t always available for customers.
“He’d be out working on the barn all day and be tired so he would only answer customers when he felt like it,” Tyler said. “Well, I started answering right away and it took off.”
Darin said he’s extremely proud of all Tyler has accomplished. Darin said Tyler has faced his own health challenges as he’s lived with CP. The social media following he’s built has been a source of encouragement.
“He motivates,” Darin said. “He can do whatever he wants to do.”
Finding ways to make it work
Tyler doesn’t just handle customer relations and social media, he also takes charge of finishing work. When boards arrive at the job site, he pulls nails from the reclaimed wood.
“I counted one time in a 16 foot board there was 403 nails,” he said. “That was one of the worst ones. I wish I hadn’t counted!”
After removing nails, Tyler dusts the boards with a wire brush to prepare them for customers.
Darin Christman said his son handles the boards, all on his own from his chair, despite concerns about potential injury.
“He does these long boards, 20 foot long boards, and I’m like, ‘Tyler, be careful. You’ll hurt your back and not be able to do this,’ and he says, ‘Dad it’s all about leverage,’” Darin said. “Rarely does he ask for help.”
Darin said Tyler has always found ways to accomplish tasks.
“You could see it when him and his twin sister were on the floor and Jessica would crawl over to the toy. Tyler would take a second and the next thing you know, he’s rolling. He found a way to do it and he’s always done that,” Darin said.
Tyler said his approach comes from necessity and family support.
“This has been me the whole time so I’ve had to figure out how to make things work,” he said. “My family never treated me any differently so I’ve figured out how to do things on my own.”
Envisioning new purposes
Tyler can envision multiple uses for barn materials that others might overlook.
“The doors are all different sizes; lots of pulleys, lots of headgates; look at the size of hinges,” he said while examining a barn. “Those could be a lot of table legs; our bigger beams that are typically for mantles; tin is a big seller too – a lot of people will do wainscoting, it makes a cool ceiling.”
The reclaimed wood has found its way into projects across the country, including restaurant locations in Las Vegas and at Wrigley Field.
Tyler said most barns they work with would otherwise be destroyed.
“The reality is, a barn like this, and 95 percent of the ones we’ve done, if we don’t take them down they’ll just be bulldozed and buried or hauled off to a dump,” he said. “It’s sad seeing them go but at least they’re allowed to live on in a different way.”
Seeing potential beyond surface
Tyler draws parallels between his work with barns and how people view his disability.
“Some people see the chair and they assume that I have limitations,” he said. “I may have to do things a little differently but I usually find a way to get the job done.
“This barn, it’s rough and not what it once was, but it’s still got potential, and it’s like how you shouldn’t underestimate what people can do because they might surprise you,” he said.
Tyler calls his wheelchair his “work truck.”
“It gets beat up and dirty,” he said, pointing out divots along the metal arms from where nails have hit it. “I think in some ways I’m kinda lucky because I’ve never known anything different.”
Both Tyler and Darin say one of the best aspects of what they’ve built is being able to do their work with the help and support of family.
October is Disability Employment Awareness Month.
Bald Eagle Barn Wood posts their work and photos of old barns from around the country on their Facebook page. People also may contact them through their web site.
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