Journeymen bring new location to Lake Tenkiller to life with historic German barn beams

A unique space that preserves 340 years of heritage is now open overlooking Tenkiller Lake.

The 1684 resort hotel was built on a piece that made the long journey from Germany and stood in the United States for the rest of its life.

“This will be the oldest wooden structure west of the Mississippi, and we thought it was a really unique opportunity,” said 1684 Venue owner Colby King.

The beams inside the building were once the skeleton of an old barn in Germany. Originally built to store hay in the late 1600s in Kerbin, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, the barn had fallen into disrepair in recent years and was falling into disrepair when the owners decided to sell what was left.

“It was one of the oldest barns I’ve ever seen for sale, 1684, you know, the barn is over 334 years old,” King said.

King knew right away that the barn’s wooden beams were destined to become a home in Oklahoma. The barn was carefully dismantled and shipped near Vian, where King and his wife Falleen are building a 1684 venue for weddings and other events.

“It took a long time to find the perfect location for such a beautiful structure, and when we found this property, we just fell in love with it,” Falin said.

The natural beauty on the outside is matched by the natural beams on the inside. The Kings kept the wood exposed and recreated the frame of the original barn.

“We have the original photos and it really looked like this – the roof slope was very steep because of the snow in Europe. The only thing we change is the lack of center beams just because of the air flow in the room and things like that,” King said.

Putting everything together perfectly is no one’s task, so the Kings turned to a group of journeymen from Germany to take on the task. Journeymen are skilled workers in a particular profession or craft, known for their unparalleled experience and dedication to their work. It’s a way of life that lasts longer than the wood they work with.

“This tradition is about 850 years old. It’s the oldest recorded tradition in Europe,” said journeyman Hansen.

Hansen and his team are carpenters.

“Being an apprentice is not a profession in itself. Being an apprentice is a part of your life where you travel and experience different things, but you still stay in your profession,” Hansen said.

The work has strict rules: they must be under 30 years old, not have a wife or children, and have never been in trouble with the law. They have a dress code, cannot have cell phones, cannot stay in one place for more than three months and are not allowed to travel within 30 miles of their hometown for at least three years.

“You’re kind of trading it to the world, to the rest of the world, so it’s a good deal,” Hansen said with a grin.

Hansen’s work has taken him to countless countries, but this project, which brings together a piece of his home country’s history, means more than most.

“It’s hard to describe the feeling because when you think about an old building like that, there’s so much going on in your head. And especially when you’re learning carpentry, you don’t often have the opportunity to work on buildings that old,” Hansen said. “It was an honor to build this building and give it a new place to live and stand.”

They didn’t have blueprints for the original barn, which meant it took time to figure out where everything needed to go.

“A lot of it is about how the wood looks and how the whole building interacts with each other and how the beams fit together, because I think that’s part of the art,” Hansen said.

Some parts were missing, others were in poor condition, but the craftsmen managed to fix everything.

“This whole beam wasn’t long enough, so we added this part here,” Hansen said, pointing to a new piece of wood connected to the historic beam.

“You can’t even tell,” said reporter Tess Maun.

“That’s the art,” Hansen replied.

Their artwork can be seen in every part of the finished space. Old pieces of wood turned into a beautiful new space.

“This barn was built by real German craftsmen, and it was German craftsmen who gave it new life here in America,” King said.

A new life in which her storied past will be present for future generations.

To find out more, visit 1684VenueResort.com and check them Facebook And Instagram pages.