Barns: Styles & Structures

by Michael Karl Witzel

Until Jamestown was established, nothing in North America grew taller than the native forests, grasses, and mountains. Beginning in 1620, the settlers who plowed the indigenous sod also dotted the virgin landscapes with towering, stately structures, the likes of which had never before been seen on the continent. This photo/essay treatment of barns in America is arranged by the five distinct roof styles that have largely come to define American barns, presenting six 20-page spreads detailing the Dutch, bank, crib, round, and prairie styles. The result captures the pastiche of rural America through stunning photography, conveying everything from stone barns in hard-scrabble Maine to thoroughbred barns in the lush bluegrass regions, to traditional Gambrel-roofed red barns in the Midwest. Regions represented include New England, the Southeast, the mid-South, the Midwest, the Pacific Northwest, the desert Southwest, and California. There is an in depth examination of how styles developed out of necessity and anecdotes from those who work and live on farms.

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

Reviews

[Jennifer Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would like to inform the author that there are barns in other parts of the country other than Pennsylvania. That whole "Lancaster-Dutch-Amish" thing is a little to contrived for me. I had hoped to see some old country barns as well from Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee. I know they're there you can see them from I-75!