![]() ![]() Both areas can be entered from the ground. Traditionally, the lower level of the barn housed livestock and draft animals, while the upper level provided storage and a threshing floor. The Midwest is home to the bank barn, a rectangular building with two levels. Certain barn styles have become synonymous with particular parts of the country in many cases they are considered historic reminders of the area’s agricultural past. These barns were functional and their distinct looks provided a sense of identity to the regional farmlands on which they stood. Such peaks only capture heat in the hotter, humid South, so while they’ll still have a slope to shed rain and snow, more southerly barns add variations for ventilation such as the airy ‘monitor’ barns that ensure a breeze from floor to ceiling through the monitor’s vents.”Īmerican farmers built their barns with not only practicality in mind, but also aesthetics. “A steeply peaked roof, for example, is relevant to regions with considerable snowfall since the weight of snow can bring a barn down. Ambrosiano, co-author of Complete Plans for Building Horse Barns Big & Small (Breakthrough Publishing, 2006). “The design of a barn, especially if it is very old, is bound with the weather requirements of the area and the particular cultural traditions of the farmers in the region,” says Nancy W. A great number of barn styles can be seen throughout the United States, each suited to the environment where it resides. Throughout American history, farmers have built barns to shelter their livestock and store their harvest. The glory of these old barns was breathtaking, leaving me to realize the power of this very American piece of architecture. Every few minutes, a magnificent barn would come into view, rising above the landscape and punctuating the sky with its gabled roof and proud silo. It wasn’t long before great, green expanses lay on either side of the highway. As I passed through towns along the roadway, I noticed the scenery was becoming more rural. I was driving through eastern Pennsylvania on a business trip, enjoying the open highway before me. Farmers had to climb up a ladder on the side of the tower in order to empty out the silage from the top down a series of air-tight 20”x30” doors were placed in the openings down one ‘side’ of the silo.It was a beautiful summer day, drier than most July in the East. These silos were approximately 12 staves or 30 feet in height, and were capped by a frame gable or hipped roof covered with shingles. The inside was plastered with a thin cement stucco or wash to create a smooth, airtight surface. The staves were alternately overlapped a few (2) inches vertically, and steel hoops (3” wide) or ½” metal rods that covered these were tightened to ensure a tight, integral structure. The staves, 10” wide by 30” tall and 2½” thick with V-shaped mortise and tenons on alternating edges, interlock to form a uniform cylindrical tower, commonly 10’ in diameter. These became the most common survivors in the islands. Playford Company of Elgin, Illinois developed silos constructed of “cement” (technically, concrete) staves. These ranged from 12-14’ in diameter and rose to 35-40’ in height it was estimated that a 12’x38’ or a 14’x30’ silo would serve about 25 cows.Ĭoncrete Stave Silos, Valley View Farm, San Juan Island ![]() Round tower silos were also constructed of concrete or structural tile blocks. When they were placed on concrete foundations with floors, another problem was eliminated: rotting wooden foundations. Changes in design reinforced these advantages: tower silos were originally rectangular, but round models-originally with horizontal bands, later with vertical staves like a water tank-eliminated corner pockets of air and withstood the outward pressure of the weight of the silage. However, farmers soon learned the advantages of vertical or “tower” silos-the downward pressure of the silage compacted itself, thus leading to less air pockets that produced spoilage. Early versions in the Midwest and New England/New York were lined pits. Silos varied a lot in form and construction. Farmers discovered that feeding milch cows silage kept them “fresh”-still producing milk-during the normal off-season of late fall and winter. By keeping the fermented contents (silage) in a low oxygen environment, they prevented mold or decay and preserved the nutritional value of the fodder. Experimentation in Europe in the 1870s with the preservation of green fodder-called “ensilage” or simply “silage”-led to its adoption in the US, first in the Midwest and then later in the New England/New York region. Silos are a relatively recent farm building form. ![]() Loading Silage, Tommy Davis Barn, San Juan Island ![]()
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