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Spring 1995
Barns
One of the most delightful sights while driving through the countryside is that
of an old barn. No matter what condition, we seem to be drawn to the barn’s mystique. No matter what profession
a man chose, doctor, lawyer, printer, he still needed a farm to feed his household and his livestock. A barn was
a natural part of that farm and perhaps it is the closeness to nature and the "simple" life that attract
our eye and our heart.
The word barn was originally a word meaning "a place for barely," from the Old English word bere (barley)
and æsn (place). Barns date back hundreds of years in Europe. The Americans were credited with putting an
entire farm complex under one roof -- stabling horses and cattle, plus being a cornhouse or grange.
Barns were usually built by men who specialized in framing with many primitive tools, the framing hatchet being
the most used. The shape of the barn had less slanted roofs than their European counterparts and higher walls with
horizontal siding. Many different styles of barn have been built in particular parts of the country. There are
large log barns built on four log cribs with a crossed wagonway running through the center. Many of these are found
in Tennessee and the Carolinas. Pennsylvania is famous for its stone barn, and the Georgia barn had clapboard slats
along the peak and covering the long cracks in the wall.
Two common roof styles were used most often on the barns. A pentroof was a small roof attached to a building. A
gambrel roof made the most use of the space within the roof area. Extensions to the barn were to become more frequent
as years passed. These additions were called bays and were used for thrashing areas, grain bins. Later additions
were added for wagons, carriages, corn, wood, sheep and swine.
Barn raising was not only for the construction of a barn but usually became a social event. The foundation was
most often made without mortar and the main girder (12-18 inches thick) was the heart of the barn. The flooring
was usually left loose for a year or so before it is nailed down, but often was never permanently fastened.
The main framed and braced sections (usually four or five) were called "bents" and they were made on
the ground. Neighbors came from miles around to help in raising which meant only putting up the framing. The sides
and roofing work requiring much more time, was done by the owner. Men came equipped with their own tools and there
was always food, drink and entertainment on hand.
Ventilation of the barn not only provided air and light but was a source of decoration on many barns. The Dutch
imitated church windows for the cutouts and Germans used "flat hearts," stars and tulips. Brick windows
included designs in the shape of a Christmas tree, diamonds, goblets and a sheaf of wheat. Unfortunately most wooden
barns with the cutout designs have disappeared.
Not until the end of the eighteenth century did it seem necessary to paint wood. In earlier settlements it would
have been considered a useless extravagance vulgar and showy to paint a barn. Soon wood seasoning gave way to artificial
preservation and the farmer became paint-conscious. Ready-made paint was unavailable so it was made on the farm.
The northern farmer found that the red oxide of iron and skim milk with lime made a plastic-like coating that hardened
and lasted for many years, giving birth to our famous "barn red." This recipe for Farm Paint was taken
from an 1835 almanac:
For outside painting, add 2 ounces of slacked lime, oil and turpentine.
| skimmed milk |
4 lbs. or half gallon |
| lime |
6 oz. |
| linseed oil or neatsfoot (cow’s hoof glue) |
4 oz. |
| color |
1 1/2 lbs |
Last, but not least, is the crowning glory -- the weathervane. A barn without a weathervane looks rather naked,
but the early barns did not have decorations of any kind. It was part of the farmer’s religion not to decorate
anything -- least of all their barns. The very first weathervanes were socklike pieces of cloth moving in the wind.
These windsocks gave way to lightweight wooden pieces in the shape of an arrow or a painted hand. Sometimes fish
or whales were used in barns near the coast. Later the vanes became so heavy that they could not work but in the
strongest wind. During the 19th century the ornate weathervane became vogue. Some designs included tiny men sawing
wood and ducks with flapping wings. Unfortunately these became so complicated that they were less than accurate,
and simple designs returned.
Our love affair with the barn seems to be ongoing. We love the gray ones, the red ones, and those made of stone.
We even love those that are slowly decaying and falling down. As we are in the "age of vanishing barns"
it is fortunate so many artists have captured their essence in paintings, photos, and books.
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