January 23, 2002
Brainstorming the barns
Montessori class propose ideas for old state hospital structures
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
With visions of fertile fields, an ice rink and a petting zoo dancing in their heads, nine students at the Montessori Children's House and Elementary School are eagerly drawing up plans for the Grand Traverse Commons historic barns.
Dan Tholen, a member of the Grand Traverse Commons Board, led the students on a tour of the 21-acre barns area last Thursday afternoon. Seeing the barns sparked the students' imaginations and they are busy creating plans for a community activity and recreation center there.
Thrilled to be part of the "Brainstorming on the Barns" project, the students had no shortage of ideas.
"All of us decided that we want to keep it a farm, like it used to be," said Sarah Krohn, a fourth-year student at the school. "To raise money, we would have a petting zoo and sell items made on the farm."
At the beginning of the school year, Tholen invited students from all area schools to participate in the "Brainstorming on the Barns" project. While he received input from only two schools, he was pleased by the Montessori students' input and excitement.
"The Commons is Traverse City's Central Park and it is within walking distance of seven different schools," Tholen told the group of students. "The barn buildings remain structurally sound and in good repair. This is something that will stay in our town and you will enjoy it so I want your ideas."
After the tour, the students quickly reached consensus of the basic premise of a restored working farm. Ideas for remaining buildings included an indoor skateboarding facility, warming hut for the ice skating rink, a refreshment stand and museum.
After spotting a wagon in the basement of one of the barns, they hatched a plan for hayrides in the summer and sleigh rides in the winter.
Another fundraising idea was a gift shop that would sell, among other things, statues of the award-winning cow, Colantha Walker, whose onsite grave highly intrigued the students. They also thought renting stalls from the barns to 4H students would both raise money and bring animals back to the barns.
Students plan to compile their ideas onto a poster board and present it both at a school academic fair in February and to Tholen at a Grand Traverse Commons Board meeting that month.
"I think in general some of these kids have been to the grounds but I think that Dan's presentation of what went on there was kind of eye opening for them," said Cymbre Foster, a project guide at the school. "I heard some pretty decent questions of Dan, they were interested in what kind of animals they had there, what did they grow there. I was surprised that there was no more formal information on the barns."
Before leading students on the tour, Tholen talked to them about the history of the former Traverse City State Hospital and showed a video about the barns. He discussed the vision Dr. Munson had for beauty is therapy, a revolutionary idea for the treatment of the mentally ill 120 years ago.
Tholen told the students how the 500-acre grounds housed a complete farm with fields that stretched past Meijer. The farm was intended both as working therapy for the patients and to feed them.
It included animals, orchards, gardens and fields growing grain for both residents and animals. The farm also had greenhouses, an onsite canning kitchen to process the fields' bounty and a herd of 400 award-winning Holstein cattle.
Tholen's presentation and the tour also ignited students' interest in the history of the former State Hospital and mental illness. The students will use guest speakers and books to pursue these topics further.
"I think that it is an important part of this for them, to understand the state hospital, what it was all about and what Dr. Munson was trying to do," Foster noted.