Rural Cathedrals
If you happen to be driving through rural America on vacation or taking a road trip, you might just be in store for a little bit of history. It's not entirely uncommon to see old wooden barns still dotting the rural landscape. Today, barns are either constructed out of metal or wood, but most don't have the same character as older barns. The early American barns came from designs brought over by our European ancestors and matched the style, architecture, and utility of those old world structures. Some were not painted at all, some were whitewashed, others were coated with a paint-like sealant that included iron oxide. These would protect the surface from the elements and became the "red" barn look we've all seen. Barns house a lot of valuable equipment and stock. They also provide shelter for animals in bad weather and from predators at night. The barn was such an important part of a pioneer homestead, they were often built before the house. The older surviving barns have their own sort of majesty, almost like the ancient cathedrals in Europe and old stone or brick churches you see in towns and cities across the United States. Buildings took longer to build back then. It might take months or even a year or more to put up a barn. Remember, some of these barns were quite large with complicated roofing, stalls, and hay lofts. Today, you might have a barn kit delivered to the farm that includes roof trusses pre-assembled. These can be put up in a relatively short amount of time.
Maybe you've heard of the old fashioned barn raising? This was quite a community event in bygone eras. Neighbors would gather to help assemble a barn. The work was hard, but the spirit of community, friendship, and fellowship was a powerful motivator. The Amish still have barn raisings even today. You might see a hundred or more neighbors show up ready to swing a hammer. Whenever you have neighbors freely offering their time and resources to work together — sweating and bleeding — you have a strong community. So the next time you see beautiful well maintained barn sitting majestically off an old county road, remember that's a little bit of our pioneer past still serving the farm family that lives there.
Well Wishes, Team USWM |
