Preserving America's Barns
Barns are part of America’s history and image. They bring about a sense of tradition, security, community and closeness with the land; they are community landmarks, bring the past into the present, and reflect traditions, customs, farming practices, and building technologies. Historic barns should be preserved, through rehabilitation and maintenance, because they represent the people and communities who built them and reflect changes in agricultural science and architecture (Aver, d).
The Character of a Barn
Before restoring or rehabilitating a barn, the character of the structure should be examined. The building should be inspected to understand its present condition, its structural components, and the history of its construction and changes. This information can be obtained through the local library, historic society, insurance company, building department, previous owners, and "old-timers" in the area.
The setting, form, materials, openings, interior spaces, structural framework, and decorative features are the elements that should be assessed when studying the historical character of a barn.
The setting can either enhance or distract from a barn. A barn surrounded by pastures or in a farm setting has a different feel than a barn that is surrounded by suburbs. Even though both barns might be identical, they each have a different atmosphere. When restoring or rehabilitating a barn, measures should be taken to preserve the setting as well. Elements within the setting might include farms, fields, ranches, range, orchards, ponds, streams, country roads, fences, stone walls, paths, barnyards, corrals, windmills, silos, other farm buildings, and distant scenery.
The form or shape of a barn conveys its character. The roof is the most important element in the form and can determine the type of barn it is; for example, a gable roof is found on Dutch and Prairie barns where as a cone- or dome-shaped roof is a common feature of Round barns.
Materials add to the character of a barn and give the impression of strength, solidity and permanence. "These impressions largely result from the durability and ruggedness of the materials used in them. Weathered wood siding, irregularly shaped stones, or roughhewn logs on the exterior; dressed beams, posts scarred by years of use, and plank flooring on the interior all contribute to the special character of barns" (Aver, d).
Openings contribute to a barn’s function and appearance. Typically, barns have few openings, with the exception of dairy barns. The openings usually are comprised of large wagon doorways, hayloft windows/doors, and ventilator slits. The absence of openings gives the impression of massiveness and solidity (Aver, d).
Typically, the interior of a barn is open and spacious, creating an impression of grandness. Commonly, a barn will have an open, spacious area above the stalls and compartments that are built on the ground floor.
The structural framework of a barn is a major component of the character. The frame work usually is exposed and built of large, heavy load-bearing members with a complex system of beams, braces, posts, rafters and other elements that create an imposing sight (Aver, d).
Even though barns were built for use, they usually do not lack decorative features. Many barns are painted red, some having hex signs or painted "X’s" on the doors, billboards on the walls or wording on the roof. Other elements include arched window hoods, patterned slate roofs, fanciful cupolas, weathervanes, lightning rods and ornamented metal ventilator hoods (Aver, d).
Maintenance and Repair on a Barn
Maintenance is essential for a historic barn to be kept in good repair. The owner should check for signs of damage and decay caused by moisture, insects, and vegetation. Roof leaks, broken or missing glass windows, broken ventilation louvers, broken gutters and downspouts, loose or missing clapboards, foundation cracks, and other damages should be fixed or replaced as soon as possible. Any structural deterioration could promote damage from moisture, insects or vegetation.
"Water is the root cause of most building deterioration. If unprotected and left damp, wood will decay, destroying sheathing, flooring, and eventually the structure. The freeze-thaw cycle of water in the ground can cause masonry and concrete to crack and heave. Most insects and fungi that attack wood prefer damp conditions. The impacts of falling trees, wind-blown debris, and equipment can also seriously damage buildings or create a problem area where water may begin its destruction" (Vermont Division…, c).
Many historic barns require more than maintenance to restore the damaged structure. Repairs should be made to prevent further deterioration, but care should be taken to preserve the historic character of the barn. Before taking steps to restore the building, pictures should be taken of the structure for reference and a professional opinion obtained to determine the necessary steps to take. Before a plan is established, priorities must be set; for example, the roof might need to be replaced or fixed before interior work can be done due to weather conditions. Whenever possible, repair a feature instead of replacing it using proper materials and methods. If replacement is necessary, a new material that matches in design, color, texture, and other qualities should be used. When replacing features, it is wise to get instruction or to hire the services of a professional. "A successful rehabilitation project is best guaranteed when a work plan is drawn up by someone familiar with the evaluation of historic structures, and when it is carried out by contractors and workmen experienced with the building type and committed to the goal of retaining the historic character of the property" (Aver, d).
A barn might require major structural repairs if these problems are seen: "major cracks in masonry walls, visible bowing, leaning and misalignment of walls, sagging windows and doors, separation of cladding from structural frames, trusses pulling away from seating points at support walls, sagging joists and rafters, and noticeable dips in the roof between rafters" (Aver, d).
The roof is a very important feature of a barn, not only because it adds to its character but, because it protects the building’s structural features from the elements. A roof needs to be checked yearly especially in "potential problem areas where roofing or flashing may fail, such as the ridges, eaves, valleys, around cupolas, along intersecting walls, and anywhere snow and ice can drop down from a higher roof" and cause damage to the structure (Vermont Division…, e). When fixing or replacing the roof of a barn, the "highest priority should be to replace in-kind, and to match the visual qualities of the historic roof" (Aver, d).
Other preventive measures to take include:
The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation
- A property shall be used as it was historically or be given a new use that requires minimal change to its distinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatial relationships.
- The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of distinctive materials or alteration of features, spaces, spatial relationships that characterize a property shall be avoided.
- Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or elements from other historic properties, shall not be undertaken.
- Changes to a property that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.
- Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved.
- Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence.
- Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used.
- Archeological resources shall be protected and preserved in place. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.
- New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials, features, and spatial relationships that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the historic materials, features, size, scale and proportion, and massing to protect the integrity of the property and its environment.
- New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that, if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired (Vermont Division…, n).
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Aver, Michael J.
Baccus, Don. [dhogaza@pacifier.com]. "Round Barn." [http://donb.photo.net/marlheur/places/roundbarn.html]. 1995.
Maxheim Gallery. [pmaxheim@aol.com]. "Iowa’s Famous Round Barns." [http://members.aol.com/pmaxheim/barns.htm]. 1996.
Tyler, Richard. [rich-tyler@uiowa.edu]. "Secrest 1883 Octagonal Barn"/"Round Barns." [http://earphone.oto.uiowa.edu/octbarn/roundbrn.htm].
Vermont Division for Historic Preservation and Vermont Housing & Conservation Board.
Vreugdenhil, Paul. [vreug@surgery.wisc.edu]. "Round Barns." [http://sapphire.surgery.wisc.edu/barns.html]. 1999.
Fred J. Becker, Architect
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