A 26×40 Christmas Tree Farm Barn: The Winterport Evergreen Farm Story

When you start with a good barn plan, you don’t always have to build it exactly as it was originally drawn.

Sometimes, the best plan is the one you adapt to fit your property, your materials, and the way you intend to use the building.

That’s exactly what happened at Winterport Evergreen Farm in Winterport, Maine.

The owners started with BarnGeek’s 24×24 Gable Barn plan, but they had a different size and layout in mind for their farm. After working with us at BarnGeek, the original design was modified into a 26×40 gable barn that better fit their farm’s needs.

Today they say that barn is at the heart of the farm.

A Barn Designed Around the Farm

Winterport Evergreen Farm is a family- and veteran-owned Christmas tree farm in Winterport, Maine. The farm has grown into much more than a place to grow Christmas trees, with the owners creating a place where families and the community can gather. If you check out their Facebook page, you will see many posts of community events, including monthly markets, farm tours, and, of course, the big Christmas events. They have even been featured in some local news articles!

But back in 2024, the focus was on getting the barn built.

The project began with a BarnGeek 24×24 Gable Barn plan. Rather than starting from scratch, the owners worked with the BarnGeek team to modify the design to a 26×40 layout.

That is one of the advantages of starting with an established barn design.

You can use a proven design as your starting point and then make changes to suit your property and your plans.

For Winterport Evergreen Farm, that meant taking the basic gable barn design and creating a larger building that would work for their farm.

Milling the Lumber Right on the Farm

One of the most interesting parts of this project was the lumber.

Instead of purchasing all of the dimensional lumber for the barn, the Winterport Evergreen Farm team milled most of it themselves right there on the farm.

They used an “oldie but goodie” Wood-Mizer LT40 sawmill and primarily milled Eastern white pine for the project.

The floor joists were made from hemlock.

There’s something especially beautiful about a farm building made from trees harvested and milled right on the property where the barn stands.

Watching the Barn Take Shape

By June 2024, construction was well underway.

The photos from the farm showed the 26×40 gable barn progressing toward the next major milestone: installing the second-floor sheathing and beginning to assemble the trusses.

At that point, the structure was starting to look like the building they had envisioned when they first began working on the plans.

And while the work was far from finished, the basic idea was becoming reality.

The owners continued to share updates as construction progressed, giving a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into building a custom timber-frame or post-and-beam style structure.

From Construction Project to Finished Barn

By October 2024, the exterior and principal construction of the barn were complete.

A beautiful sunrise photo showed the finished barn standing at Winterport Evergreen Farm.

But “finished” didn’t necessarily mean the project was completely done.

There was still plenty of work to do inside.

The first floor was being prepared for Christmas tree sales, while the second floor was planned to eventually become a barndominium-style apartment.

That combination is a great example of how a well-designed barn can serve multiple purposes.

It’s not simply a barn.

It’s part of the farm’s business, a gathering space, and eventually a living space—all within the same building.

A Barn Built for the Future

One of our favorite things about this project is that the barn was designed with the future in mind.

The owners weren’t simply looking for four walls and a roof.

They were creating a building that could grow with the farm.

According to the farm’s current website, the barn now serves as the heart of the farm.

From a Barn Project to a Place for the Community

Winterport Evergreen Farm officially opened for its first Christmas tree season in 2025, welcoming hundreds of families to the farm.

Today, the farm offers choose-and-cut Christmas trees along with wreath-making classes, a seasonal gift shop, farm products, and other community activities.

The barn has become an important part of that experience.

The farm’s current offerings include events and activities that make use of the post-and-beam barn, including private events, educational visits, and winter activities.

We’re Glad We Could Be Part of It

We’d like to thank the team at Winterport Evergreen Farm for allowing us to be part of the project.

From the original 24×24 Gable Barn plan to the customized 26×40 design, Aaron and Zeke were able to work with the owners to help develop a building that fit their needs.

And the support didn’t stop when the plans were delivered.

As the owners said in their June 2024 update:

“Thank you to the gang at Barngeeks for all of the help and continued support!”

That’s exactly the kind of relationship we want to have with our customers.

At BarnGeek, we don’t physically build the barns ourselves. We design the plans, provide barn kits and hardware, and help our customers work through their projects with technical support and advice along the way.

Every project is different.

Sometimes you need a standard plan.

Sometimes you need to modify that plan.

That’s the beauty of designing your own barn—you get to build something that fits your property, your needs, and your vision.

Visit Winterport Evergreen Farm

If you’d like to see more of what the Winterport Evergreen Farm team has created, be sure to visit their website and follow along with the farm’s latest updates.

Visit Winterport Evergreen Farm

You can also follow the farm on Facebook for photos, updates, events, and information about what’s happening at the farm.

Follow Winterport Evergreen Farm on Facebook

Build Your Own Barn

And if you’re considering a barn project of your own, take a look at the BarnGeek Gable Barn plans and see if one of our designs could be the starting point for your project.

You don’t always have to build the exact barn you see on the plan.

Sometimes, the best barn starts with a good plan—and a few changes to make it your own.

Become a member of our barn plans library below.

If you are already a member and considering custom plans, email us at [email protected].