TIVERTON — Powerful winds and heavy rain collapsed an old dairy barn off Lake Road on Tuesday evening, April 13. Somehow, the chickens living inside emerged unscathed. Diana and Roy Hiipakka were inside their 35 Sleepy Hollow Home at about 8 p.m. that stormy night when they received a telephone call.

"It was from our daughter Rachel. She was calling on her cell phone from out in the driveway and told us we'd better come out quick and get a look at something."

They did and were greeted by the sight of their ruined barn.

Diana Hiipakka of Sleepy Hollow Road, Tiverton, greets chickens outside the remnants of her family's dairy barn that collapsed in last week's wind and rain storm.

"We thought we had heard something a little while earlier but figured it was only the wind ... it had been blowing very hard," Ms. Hiipakka said. "It had been fine when we got home that afternoon."

She added that they are sorry to lose the barn. Although they only used it to house the chickens and store old farm and garden equipment, it was an attractive old structure that offered a glimpse into the property's dairy farm history. It still contained the old trough for feeding cows and some of the gear used for milking cows.

It was certainly tired, but they had no idea it was so close to collapse, Ms. Hiipakka said. Some concern was once expressed about its condition, she said, but the building inspector came by for a look a couple of years ago and said it seemed solid enough.

"We had even been thinking about rebuilding it for historic reasons," she said.

They don't know the name of the farm that once used the barn, but she said they have heard bits and pieces about the property from long-timers.

There is even a persistent story that someone died in that barn. "Supposedly somebody fell out of the loft but we don't know if that is true."

Ms. Hiipakka said they intend to tear down the barn's remains and build a new one in its place.