A thoughtful remodel and adaptive reuse of a historic barn in Southern Oregon has provided space for a popular tasting room at RoxyAnn Winery and revitalized a local landmark.

Hillcrest Barn-evening
Hillcrest Barn in the evening
Both the barn and RoxyAnn Winery are located on Hillcrest Orchard, a National Register-listed farmstead complex in Medford, Oregon complete with house and out buildings that has been operated by the same family for more than a century. Today, descendants of Reginald and Maude Parsons still grow tree fruits and, in recent years, wine grapes. Additionally, the farm sells fruits and vegetables that are available seasonally and customers still pay with the traditional ‘honor’ system.
Mule Team Harvest Photo / Kathy Tucker
Mule Team Harvest
Approached in two phases between 2002 and 2005, the family worked with Jerry Toney Construction and later Bostwick Construction & Mill Work to repurpose the well preserved, but lightly used barn. The two-story, period colonial-style barn looks much as it has since being built ca. 1900, with a gabled roof and cupola, and a large, somewhat ironic, sign that identifies it as the “Barn.”
Hillcrest Barn interior, the tasting room
Hillcrest Barn interior  tasting room
 
Inside, the space is still identifiable. The original walls, ceiling, and floor have been spruced up and complimented by the addition of a wine tasting bar and seating area, a customer bathroom, storage space, and an area for food preparation. Outside, the former paddock was converted into additional seating and event space.
historic photo courtesy of Kathy Tucker
Hillcrest Farm historic photo
The winery, founded by Parsons’ grandson Jack Day, has found critical acclaim with many of its varieties, including the claret and tempranillo. Day estimates that the tasting room gets more than 30 thousand visitors a year, with many of those customers attending the winery’s popular Friday night music events.
Not every historic barn is situated near a population center that makes it suited for wine tasting and events, but the success of Hillcrest Orchard demonstrates how well some of these beloved structures can evolve and their heritage pass forward. For more on the historic of Hillcrest Orchard visit http://hillcrestorchard.com/history/.