Sunday, June 23, 2013

Barns


Many barns have crumbled to dust and been removed in the twenty five years I have lived in this community.  They have succumbed, on the whole, to progress.  Some are waiting for progress to catch up. And progress has overtaken others.

Many years ago the plight of barns in this old farming community interested me, and I drove around a little, here and there, taking barn pictures.  I came across two of the pictures when I scanned all the photos on hand.  There were more, but they are gone, like the barns.


Both these barns are gone.  They are no more.



This barn is south on the main road, in the old township that was annexed by the greedy city to the south. Progress has come to the east side of the road; there is a steel and industrial plastics company.  The west side lingered for years, the old farming acres relatively undisturbed.  Even the skeet shooting club decamped in the face of city regulations, and their old barn declined. Traces of the last paint job remain under the eaves.

For the last couple of years the land has been undergoing remediation.  A developer will be building a large senior living complex on all those acres.  But first he had to pick up all the lead shot!  Actually, tons of earth were trucked away and other tons trucked in to replace it.



This old barn was part of some manufacturing complex.  I assume that was its second life. Other buildings include the original farm house, some smaller farm outbuildings, and a recently built (less than a hundred years ago) concrete block building with six loading docks and a couple of yard offices at the end.  It’s for sale.  Not including the horses across the street.  Comments anticipated.



This barn sits unused in a field near us.



This barn is on a small road near us.  Several horses are generally about.



This old homestead is near us.  There is a pond with a picturesquely deteriorating dock and an equally decrepit row boat on the bank.  Only a glimpse of the old barns is visible from the road, but the property is both deserted and for sale.  We ventured down the grass filled old gravel drive and found posted signs covering the front of the house.  I’ll go back some time with Emily; she’s braver than Jan.  It’s Emily’s barn, in any event.  She says she’s spotted it way in the back.

I see old barns frequently, out and about, and intend to be more diligent in recording them.  Like Gilderoy Lockhart and the joined up writing, I can take pictures with my phone now. 


30 comments:

  1. Don't know if you read Julie Zickefose blog, but she wrote about an old barn today (SE Ohio)... your concerns are shared by many.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some around here have been restored for homes, but what an expensive undertaking. I may have to take pictures of them later this summer.

      Delete
  2. Those old, red American barns are so evocative of... well... America, to me. Almost Norman Rockwell.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are so many kinds of barns. Bank barns, built into a hill with two access points. Hay barns. Horse barns, generally have vertical lines. I love cow barns, with a jutting overhang for cows to shelter under from rain and sun.

      Delete
  3. Old barns (like many old homes) have so much more charm than their probably more efficient newer versions.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. New barns even look too efficient, metal siding and all. The old ones may occasionally be restored, but not replicated.

      Delete
  4. It is sad to follow their demise. I know of at least a dozen that each year are a bit more dilapidated. Eventually they collapse but each in their own way (a bit like humans!). Sometime the whole structure is flattened in one storm, more often one end caves in and the rest follows over the years.

    ReplyDelete
  5. There's nothing more stalworthy or inspiring than an old barn built with skill, art, and community.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Old barns are an important part of rural heritage. I look forward to seeing more photographs of them, before they crumble and fall. They shout "America" loud and clear. I love them.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I think they look beautiful even as they're falling apart. so much character and charm, soon to be lost forever, except in photos.

    ReplyDelete
  8. These barns sure has a story to tell. They look all gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  9. There was an old barn in the cotton/corn field across the road falling apart, covered with vines and growth and slowly being pulled to the ground. Last summer I finally trekked out into the field and took photos of it and another old shed in equally decrepit and encumbered condition. The very next day the farmer who works those fields set them both on fire and burned them to the ground. now you can't tell they were ever there.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sadly, most of those old barns have disappeared. A lot of the charm of old country roads has gone too.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love old barns and for a while was posting “Barn of The Month” but unfortunately life in general has kept us away from any road trips of late.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Bygone era -- another one in a long string of bygone eras.

    We will not feel the same nostalgia around the decaying strip malls...

    Pearl

    ReplyDelete
  13. I would kill a bus load of small children for a proper American barn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No you wouldn't. If I had one, I'd give it to you, though. Write a post about why you can't build a snug, reasonably sized outbuilding. I don't understand what is stopping you, but would like to know.

      Delete
  14. I's a pity they are disappearing but I guess you can't stop progress.
    Merle.....

    ReplyDelete
  15. The pictures seem to be from another time indeed. The different designs and uses are very interesting. Much hard work went into making this part of Americana. Thanks for the tour!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I haven't seen any barns in Hawaii lately.

    ReplyDelete
  17. i love these---i too really enjoy taking pictures of old barns and buildings---these are very cool!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm not sure I could post the side of barn if I tried. You did well hitting the many barns. Farming has certainly changed. I think the eat local food is a good trend but I also believe big high production farms are here to stay since the world enjoys low cost food.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, posting the side. Actually, I'm pretty good at framing up pictures--and editing them is a piece of cake, not like the old dark room days.

      Delete
  19. What magnificent buildings these were. I'm so glad to see a small thatched barn being lovingly restored on our drive to my mother's home.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, to see that! American barns evolved from English "three stall barns," with the horse, the cow and the family pig.

      Delete
  20. I love old barns. We actually lived in one while we were building our house

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thanks for stopping by the Medicare Mom. Yes that was an impressive amount. The school where I taught for so long was much larger. I think they had like 400 graduates, not all of them received scholarships even though around $3 million were awarded to that group.

    ReplyDelete
  22. So sad to see so many fine barns deteriorating so, documenting them is a worthy cause. I've yet to take a photo with my phone probably good because I would have no idea how to get it from there to my blog. Ha.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Oh, I LOVE barns! They tell such a story!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Beautiful barns! We are doing our best to preserve our 150-year-old beauty. I hate seeing barns collapse into decay around here. And when they go down, they are invariably replaced by those ugly Coveralls. :(

    ReplyDelete