Salvaged Materials and a Great Design Breathe New Life to an Old Barn

The design and finish of this barn style house fits perfectly with its Texas surroundings. With antique ceiling boards, stained concrete floor and the stone fireplace, the barn layout takes advantage of the biggest asset of a barn style house, and that is the open, cathedral-like space.

Salvaged Materials and a Great Design Breathe New Life to an Old Barn

This barn style house has plenty of windows to let in loads of natural light. The barn has two exterior side porches that are framed with antique timbers to match the historic interior timber frame. The barn has extended gable end framing and antique barn siding that adds a unique feature to this rustic, casual, comfortable, rural home.

Salvaged Materials and a Great Design Breathe New Life to an Old Barn

This barn style house was located in Upstate New York and has been restored in Campbell, Texas. The barn style house is 35 feet by 35 feet with 1,225 square feet of space. The following are some of the different styles of barns you will see.

Salvaged Materials and a Great Design Breathe New Life to an Old Barn

Dutch barns. Dutch barns were a style of barn that was popular in upstate New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The settlers in these areas of the country were Dutch and brought these barn designs over from their homeland.

Salvaged Materials and a Great Design Breathe New Life to an Old Barn

The Dutch barn was similar on the exterior to the prairie barn. Dutch barns have long, sloping roofs and mortise and tenoned wooden beams throughout. Dutch barns were a style of barn built in the early 1800s, with simple, open designs.

Salvaged Materials and a Great Design Breathe New Life to an Old Barn

The Dutch barns were clapboarded, with gabled roofs and smaller side doors and large carriage doors on either end. Dutch barns are still one of the rarest types of barns found in America. The Dutch barn had side isles for housing livestock, while the center area of the barn would be used for threshing wheat similar to that of English barns.

Salvaged Materials and a Great Design Breathe New Life to an Old Barn

Round Barn. Round barns were designed with cattle farming in mind, as they were designed around the idea of housing the maximum amount of cows, with as little wasted space in the barn as possible. Round barns were promoted by agricultural colleges, as they would house cattle in stalls around the perimeter of the barn, with their heads facing into central hay and a central feed station , this design allowed for manure to be easily removed from the outside edge of the barn.

Salvaged Materials and a Great Design Breathe New Life to an Old Barn

There are several other barn styles, built for the specific needs and regions of the country. Crib barns, were common in the South, being simple log barns with a middle breezeway and loft for feed storage. Before refrigeration, ice was stored in the large open barns or, in the warmer climates, in roofed structures that were otherwise dug underground.

Salvaged Materials and a Great Design Breathe New Life to an Old Barn

Tobacco barns were also common in the South and were designed to hang and dry tobacco after it was harvested. Crib barns had open sides for maximum air circulation, and extensive poling throughout the barn for hanging the tobacco leaves upon. Pole barns, are still commonly used for hay or machinery storage and became popular during the Great Depression because of their simple, cheap design and the ability to protect and cover a large amount of product.