This crib barn, built about 1850 before the two major forest fires in the Thumb in 1871 and 1881, was owned and is believed to have been built by Charles Decker, who also founded the Village of Deckerville in the late 1860's. Its walls are hand-hewn white pine logs, the largest measuring 10 inches thick by 16 inches high by 30 feet long. The dovetail joints were so tight and the log surfaces so even that no chinking was needed, and the roof rafters were made of hand-hewn cedar logs. Richard Harter disassembled the barn, labeled each piece, and brought it here, where he reassembled it, replacing some decayed timbers with new wood. The roof is made of hand-split cedar shakes. Area farmers helped cover project expenses, and other craftsmen donated skill, labor, and money. Richard and Judy Harter donated the barn to the Museum and Pioneer Village in memory of Richard's parents, Nicholas and Mary Harter, who raised five children: Doris, Mary Ann, Kathleen, Richard, and Carol.