GREENTOWN, Ind. — The last round barn in Howard County, now carefully resurrected as part of the pioneer village at the Greentown Lions Fairgrounds, 610 East Payton St., Greentown, will be dedicated July 9 in a 5 p.m. ceremony.

“The work on this building has strictly been a labor of love by Lions Club members and volunteers from the community,” said Dennis Maple, who previously served as fair chairman and co-chairman.

“We have so many members, we don’t have to repeat our two-year terms of office,” he said, noting that the club, with close to 170 members, is the largest Lions club in Indiana. It has operated the 110-acre fairgrounds for more than 40 years without tax monies.

As for a chairman of the building project, Maple said, “We don’t have any such title. We all just pitch in and work.”

And work they did. The barn was ready to collapse when Rhoda Moyers, a great-granddaughter of builder Lawrence Armfield, donated it to the Greentown Lions Club because she wanted it to be someplace where it could be seen and appreciated. The fairgrounds became a logical choice since hundreds of fair visitors could appreciate the sturdy structure’s craftsmanship.

Moyers’ great-grandfather, however, would be surprised at some of the features incorporated into the barn – extra wide stairway to the loft and the upper compression ring refurbished as a chandelier.

“We wanted it to be used more than at fair time,” Maple said. “We want to rent it out for special events.”

The first of those special days was a wedding reception for the current fair chairman’s son and Maple’s great niece. “It worked out perfectly,” he said.

“We’ve been pretty blessed by the people who have stepped up to help,” he said. “And we’re grateful for the corporations that made major financial donations.”

The final cost came in somewhat in excess of $200,000, but slightly less than the club’s original estimate of $250,000.