Tearing down Dr. Pierce's barn: 'It's a local landmark'

COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. -- A piece of Cottage Grove's history is being torn down as one resident removes Dr. Pierce's barn from his land, and people in the town have mixed feelings about the property owners decision.

Cottage Grove residents have identified with the barn since it was constructed in the early 1900's.

"It's just kind of a local landmark that people have identified with the local community for a long time and now its unfortunate ... it's being demolished." said Cottage Grove native Tim Rochhols.

Dr. Pierces barn became a part of the National Historic Register in 1994. Like many old barns located near roadways, the Cottage Grove relic has an ad plastered on one side of it.

The Dr. Pierce's barn is the namesake of its advertisement, a New York doctor that prescribed medicine to patients through the mail.

The barn sits on a piece of land owned by Doug Stout. Stout said he is tearing it down because of liability reasons. He consulted an engineering company, who deemed the barn in bad condition and said that it wasn't safe.

While Stout plans to sell the land after the barn is torn down, he said that he is keeping the boards painted with the old advertisement. He said that he will reconstruct the historic ad on his new property when he leaves.