The barn is a historically significant and impressive structure which was originally built around 1850 and then dismantled and reconstructed by Ralph Stover in 1876 for viewing during the Centennial Exposition fair. The Exposition was held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and was an effort to showcase the many advancements and innovations made by the United States in our first 100 years.

The Stover family was one of Bucks County’s most prominent families, owning much of the surrounding land and operating numerous mills in the area. Today, Ralph Stover State Park bears his name, which is largely comprised of land donated by the Stover family. You can still take a short walk up the hill to find most of the family burial plots, including Ralph himself, in the Point Pleasant Cemetary.

The Centennial Barn is a beautiful example of a forebay bank barn, which was used primarily for hay storage and cattle. As is true with most barns, it also served a multitude of other purposes and evolved over time with changing needs.