What Are the Different Kinds of Barns?

History

• European settlers built barns in the United States as soon as they established the first colonies. Some of the oldest remaining barns, called Dutch barns, have their origins in the 18th century. The round barn was the first barn style in the United States after the Dutch barn. George Washington himself possessed a round barn. Round barns did not become prevalent in the United States until the 1880s, when agricultural colleges began to teach progressive farming methods. In the first half of the 20th century, dairy barns became common in the northern part of the country. Around the same time, farmers began to construct crib barns in the mountainous regions of North Carolina, Virginia, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee. At the date of publication, some small farms still use barns but most barns serve as historical landmarks.

Effect of Immigration

• Barns have changed with the years as multiple cultures affected their development. Dutch settlers in New York and New Jersey constructed the first immigrant barns built in America. When pioneers began settling in the Great Plains in the 1800s, states such as Nebraska had immigrants from Germany, Sweden, Holland, the Czech Republic, Norway, Denmark, Poland and Ireland, all of who brought unique styles of barn building. Building styles brought by other immigrants combined with the English barn to result in the Midwestern or prairie barn. This type of barn was most common in the late 19th and early 20th century. At the date of publication, these barns still exist throughout the Midwest as a testimony to immigrant influence.

External Structure

• The external structure of barns differs between regions. Barns from Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic often attach to homes. This allows easy access to the barn during storms. English barns are large, square, freestanding buildings. Many dairy barns are in the style of English barns. Midwestern or prairie barns are rectangular-shaped and spacious. Dutch barns feature a broad roof that is flat on the top and bends towards the ground at the sides. The roofs of early Dutch barns reached the ground and prevented snow from accumulating against the walls. Another type of American barn is the bank barn, which has two stories, both with a ground-level entrance, built into the side of a hill. Entering the second story of a bank barn merely required walking farther up the hill. Bank barns are usually on the south facing side of the hill to receive optimal winter sunlight to benefit livestock. The second story extends beyond the first, providing shelter for animals corralled outside. Crib barns are small barns constructed on rocky terrain that have a rustic appearance due to the rough wooden shingles of the roofs. Round barns are structurally stable due to their circular shape and require fewer repairs that many other types of barns.

Internal Structure

• Each type of barn features unique interior features. English barns are large enough for a wagon to fit inside and provide space for hay storage. Dairy barns most have sufficient space to house many cows and require abundant haylofts. The roofs of Dutch barns receive support from heavy beams, and have large doors in the center that allow wagons to pass through. Crib barns do not always contain a hayloft. Instead, they include a series of large bins called cribs. The interior of round barns allows for an efficient use of space as the circular walls support the roof and the roof needs few interior beams.

Materials

• The building materials farmers used in barn construction reflect the resources available in that area. Dense forests in the southeast of the United States resulted in log barns. Round barns have wooden planks and, due to their circular shape, require fewer building materials than other barns. Even though wood is the material used in most barns, stone and brick also appear as construction materials. For example, barns in Idaho often use basalt, a volcanic rock that is plentiful in that state, and farmers in the southeast often used a clay-like adobe to construct barns.

Barn Function

• The original function of barns was to serve as business places, storage areas and locations for the manufacturing of farm supplies. People also used barns for social events, as many barn styles provide a large open space. Community dances and prayer meetings commonly took place in barns. In the Midwestern states, farmers used barns to house livestock and store feed and grain, while farmers in the east and southwest used barns to store and process tobacco. Northwestern farmers often used barns to dry hops for beer, and farmers in the south used barns to store, clean and dry rice. The purpose of a barn differed not only by region, but also by building style. The design of the dairy barn, which is common in the Midwest, provides convenience for the farmer and comfort for the cow. Bank barns house animals and provide space for storing and threshing grain, and the bins in crib barns store grain or animal feed.