To the Editor:

The passing of Ev Rau at age 98 brought back many fond memories of exploring 18th-Century barns and passionate historical and architectural group discussions.

I first met Ev in the mid-1980s when I was president of the Guilderland Historical Society, and Ev and his wife, Peg, joined — they both pretty quickly became active members contributing much in knowledge and experience!

At around the same time, folks like Dr. Vincent Schafer, Shirley Dunn, myself, and others were forming the Dutch Barn Preservation Society. Dutch barns are the earliest form of barn architecture in the United States and are primarily concentrated in the Hudson and Mohawk valleys, including Guilderland.

I knew Ev had a Dutch barn on his Settles Hill farm and encouraged him to join the new organization. once he did — in his mid-60s — he quickly became immersed in all things related to early barn architecture, bringing his own wealth of knowledge and experience. I witnessed a man “blossom” in his later years, becoming well respected in this field, and often asked to give presentations!

Ev represented a generation of early rural agriculture that is lost to most of us nowadays and, like World War II veterans, is rapidly disappearing. I last visited Ev and Peg in 2016, where he signed and gave me a copy of the recent book he wrote on his fascinating life.

There are not many people that make a mark on your own life, but Ev is one of those for me — he will be missed.

Mark Hesler

Franconia

New Hampshire