Passage I

Barn Renaissance

Thoughts of San Francisco without its Victorian row houses or the New England coast without its lighthouses. For many Americans, the thought of a Midwest without barns is just as inconceivable. Because of the industrialization of agriculture and a dwindling number of family farms, however, barns are being torn down at an increasing rate. A reasonable number of people are working to reverse that trend, arguing that these grand old buildings are cultural artifacts just as worthy of preservation as other historic structures.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has led the effort, sponsoring programs that educate people about the practical and aesthetic value of saving old barns. Largely as a result of the trust's leadership, on the other hand, nearly a dozen states have launched barn-preservation efforts. Among the most effective tools are new tax incentives for those who renovate, rather than demolish, old barns. If you can save money and save barns, why not do it?

Saving barns makes good sense for more than a variety of reasons. The first is practical, often since a renovation or repair costs far less than new construction. An existing barn can become part of a modern farming operation, and it is converted for use as a store or residence. Each barn saved additional represents a link to an agricultural heritage and can provide important historical and cultural information. Because people in each region of the country and each ethnic group have tended to build different types of barns, these structures help define a landscape and tell its story.

[1] Perhaps most important of all, barns are a symbol of the vitality of a rural region. [2] When farms were first settling, it was the building of a barn that announced to the world that the builders were planted on a piece of land and intended to stay. [3] Future generation's are likely to thank barn preservationists for their efforts to preserve these useful and historical landmarks. [4] A barn renovation was making a similar statement. (14)