KENTUCKY OLD BARN GALLERY

Red barn found in Waco area

Living in rural Kentucky for six years, before I moved here to Oregon, I was astounded by the beauty of the old barns that still remained on their landscapes. Some were decaying and some were in fine shape as seen by the red barn above. During my Kentucky stay I took many photos of barns and plan to scatter a few posts over the next few months featuring them. All are from the central part of Kentucky. All the barns are diverse, no two alike, large and small giving us a glimpse of the talented barn builders of yesterday.

Have a seat and enjoy the beautiful day.

Decaying barn with old advertising painted on its side.

Barns have many uses today -- here are stored rolled bales for feed

Old "sentinel" barn watching over the hillside -- slowly aging.

Old and in fine shape

TWO BARNS -- TWO QUILT SQUARES -- ESTILL COUNTY

This transverse barn was found along Red Lick Road in Estill County as well as the barn below. They both sport eye popping graphic quilt patterns. The idea of quilt squares on barns grew out of Ohio in 2001 and it seems as if it has been growing exponentially ever since in Kentucky. 

Now quilt squares can be found in several states. I don't know if they are as prolific as they are here, One thing I do know is that they sure light up the country side 

FARMER KING GROWING AN INDEPENDENT FARM

John King standing with some of his family. 

Left to right: Jack, John (grandson) and  farmer John King

Recently, I wrote a post about the original homestead that John King bought in his early twenties. Now in his seventies, Mr King has spent his adult life as an independent farmer. He can point out his achievements of growing a farm by the buildings that stand on his farm. Prior to his moving onto the farm these buildings were  not there. 

Corn crib

John King is a friendly man as are other members of his family that I met on the day when I talked with him about his farm. Jack, his cousin, was at the farm picking up some tobacco sticks from John for a project he was working on just down the road. John Sr, had been a tobacco farmer until the government had a buyout for Kentucky farmers. John, his grandson, had just come home from some classes at the college he was attending. 

Second large barn that John King built on his farm

Mr King runs a hands-on farm. Every building except for the two homestead buildings has been built by him. Now he didn't go to the lumber company and purchase his building supplies. Rather he went to the woods on his property and felled trees for each building he was to build over the fifty or so years he has lived on his farm. He would take his felled trees to small sawmills located near his farm where the mill hands would cut the wood into the dimensions that Mr King wanted. Then he would haul it back to his farm via tractor with wagon or horse and wagon. Then construction would begin.

First large barn that John King built on his farm

Over time John built three good sized barns, a storage garage, a small utility shed, a corn crib and a tractor shed. All from the trees on his property. All his buildings have been kept in excellent shape. 

Utility shed

Growing a farm is quite an accomplishment. I took several photos to show what one person can do when he has the will and the way to make things work. 

Tractor shed

Oh, and part of his life on the farm changed when he stopped raising tobacco. He took an off farm job for a while telling me that it was almost impossible to make enough money as a small independent farmer anymore unless one worked both on the farm and an outside job too.

The Kings, according to grandson John, grow all of their food for year-round consumption as well as raising cattle for beef. 

Small farms, according to 2009 statistics, have grown by 4%.  Mostly attributable to demand for local and organic food. Most of this growth is found in small farms under 50 acres. 

RIDE RURAL ROCKCASTLE COUNTY

Take a ride with me through Rockcastle County, Kentucky. I'll drive my small Tacoma truck but many folks bike it for its beauty. It's very scenic and full of cultural history. 

Rusticated Metal Barn Roof

1819 House With Stacked Limestone Chimney

Original Construction is Log. Presently Weatherboard Covering

Mt. Vernon, Commercial Building With Quilt Square

Early Country Home, Possibly Log Construction Underneath Present Siding

Old barns - Still Active

Old Davis Branch Schoolhouse

Not Active - Privately Owned

DOWN BLUE LICK ROAD

Down Blue Lick Road one can see the remains of an old agricultural base -- now dotted with ranch homes on acreage. One wonders what this area looked like before the building splurge of the past thirty years. Who owned and worked the land? Who sold the land? I have a tendency to be theoretical as I ride down many roads similar to Blue Lick -- once farms now mostly  ranch type homes. The historical markers on the land appear as outbuildings and barns. Not many. Just a few to remind you that there are old memories that travel with the land.  

The small old barn above is slowly deteriorating. When it falls what will take its place? The fabric of farms is steadily being torn to shreds with only an outhouse there, a barn down the road, and perhaps a storage shed mingled in with the new garage.  -- not even farm houses seem to survive. 

Why are we in such a rush to let our farming past with all its beautiful structures fall into ruins -- almost right before our eyes? 

BARNS, HAY WAGON, AND HAY BALES

Do these hay bales remind you of Nabisco Shredded Wheat cereal?

OLD BARN COLORS

This stately old wooden Madison County barn is rather different than the usual black barns found here in Kentucky. As you can see its historic color is what I would call "soldier blue."  

In my past travels across the nation I've noticed that some states have vintage barn colors that seem to be more popular than others. As an example, black barns  in Kentucky, red barns in Michigan, natural barn exteriors (no paint at all) in Oregon, and lots of white barns in Nebraska and Iowa. 


What factors swayed barns to be painted certain colors in certain areas is a question I have had for quite some time. 


Does anyone have some ideas as to why this is so?

BARNS, BARN SWALLOWS AND POPULATION DECLINE

PLEASANT VIEW FARM BARN, RICHMOND KENTUCKY AREA

My son and I made a trip to the above historic farm to check out some old farm  structures that  still remain on the early 1800s property. We were unaware of the beautiful twentieth-century barn that rested on a knoll at the back of property. 


As we approached the barn a burst of approximately 30 - 50 Barn Swallows flew out from unknown corners of the barn and swirled about in the air. They eventually settled down on bare branches and telephone wires giving us a look- over. 

My son escaped into the barn from the swirling birds and discovered their nests built on the barn beams. Since this was mid-August we presumed that the nests were empty?

Afterwards, back at my house we talked about the beautiful birds and their place in the environment. I decided to do a bit of "digging" to find information on their behavior and history.

BARN INTERIOR WITH BARN SWALLOW NESTS ON UPPER BEAMS

In the photo above, if one looks at the top barn rafters, one can make out the many barn swallow nests. 


Barn swallows are found over much of the globe. Here, I am only discussing those found in the North American continent. These birds are migratory, spending the winters in South America. Their diet is mainly insects that they grab in the air as they fly. They migrate to South America as winter in North America provides little in the way of insects. They spend their summers in North America breeding and raising their young on a rich abundance of insects. 

BARN SWALLOWS -- (hirundo - rustica)
PERCHING ON NEARBY  ELECTRICAL WIRES OUTSIDE OF ABOVE BARN

Their population remains somewhat steady but declines in populations are being observed. As an example, they are still common in Washington State but the Breeding Bird census indicates that swallows have decreased significantly in the state since 1980

OLDER BARN SWALLOW CHICKS IN THEIR NEST
(Wikipedia -- Walter Siegmund photo)

The main reasons for decline seems to be urban development and industrial agriculture. Barn swallow habitat requires open fields and meadows, water availability and structures such as old barns that one finds in the country. In these old structures they can colonize their nests and be somewhat protected from their main predators such as owls, hawks, and snakes. However, barns and other farm outbuildings are being torn down as industrial agriculture and urban growth reach their tentacles into the countryside. Another factor is that family farms are ceasing operation, forced out by economic reasons, reducing insect populations to 50% resulting in a 50% reduction in barn swallows in these small farm areas. 

Barn swallows play an important role in controlling insects in cultivated areas where they dine on mosquitoes, crickets, flies, grasshoppers and other flying insects. 


What measures can be taken to stop Barn Swallow decline?

Barn Swallow at Nest
(Reference-Artificial Barn Swallow Nests Site)

A suggestion is being made on the site, Artificial Barn Swallow Nests. Opening passage is as follows:
"In the past two years since posting these personal pages, several hundred people have emailed asking about either how to get rid of barn swallows nesting on the light fixture over their front door or how to attract swallows to their property. The majority of people emailing us about swallows have a single pair nesting on their porch or under their eaves or deck. They often state that they had several pair in their yard in the spring, but only one pair stayed to nest. The frequency of single pair nestings was a surprise to me, since my experience has been with large or smaller colonies, both on our property and elsewhere. Here in the East, old barns are disappearing at an alarming rate and many long term colonies of swallows have been forced to disperse ..." 


Click here to read the entire article mentioned above that encourages nesting boxes or shelves to provide places for our beleaguered Barn Swallows.

To learn more about breeding, mating and other interesting Barn Swallow facts check out the identification tips and links below. 

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U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY IDENTIFICATION TIPS:

• Length: 6 inches
• Tiny bill
• Dark orange forehead and throat
• Pale orange underparts
• Dark, iridiscent upperparts
• Long, deeply forked tail
• Juvenile similar to adult but paler underneath with a shorter tail
• Most often seen flying
• Will nest communally in mud nests under bridges, in barns and caves, etc

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LINKS:


Bird Web; Washington State, Seattle Audubon Society


University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Animal Diversity Web


Life Histories of Familiar North American Birds 1942 Smithsonian Institute


Artificial Barn Swallow Nests

MUSIC, BARN, ROCKCASTLE COUNTY --Country Backroads

Last winter I passed this barn on HWY 25 in Rockcastle County, Kentucky. The small white sign on the left hand side of the barn reads:

BLACK BARN

LIVE MUSIC

SAT. 7 PM

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About Country Backroad Posts --
I pass so many cultural remnants along my travels of backroads that I thought I would post the bits and pieces as stand alone posts -- for you to feel my southern cultural landscape and sometimes places beyond.

OLD BARN SITTING ALONE ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY

OLD BARN SITTING ALONE ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY

When I first looked at this place as a possibility for my future home, this old barn was not mentioned on the spec sheet as being on the property. Apparently it didn't have any use as a barn anymore as it was cock-eyed, had barn boards missing from the exterior, and the tin roof had been leaking for years. The realtor did not mention it because it was old and decrepit in his eyes! It was a barn to be torn down.

So I moved in and thought about the old barn sitting out in the pasture. So what if it has all these problems, I thought, it had a beauty and dignity in its own right. Just like the older people that we meet on a daily basis -- they sometimes need some appreciation to maintain their dignity. and dignity they do have. A walker, a wheelchair, a guide dog, or a cane are just elements to allow them to remain in the flow of life. It has nothing to do with their mind -- or their smile when you give them a nod.

The aging mind does not deteriorate like knees, hips or other elderly problems. This has been proven. So, hopefully the elderly will not be left off your spec sheet of life. They have a beauty and dignity just like my old barn. I will not tear it down as it still flows with artistic sensibility givng me pleasure as I go through my day.

KENTUCKY BLACK BARN WITH QUILT SQUARE

KENTUKY BLACK BARN WITH QUILT SQUARE

I took this photo about a month ago. I was out riding along HWY 21 in Madison County when I spotted this distinguished, well kept barn. So many of the barns in this area are having a difficult time staying in good repair. Some actually falling to the ground for their final resting place -- and with that loss the disappearance of cultural stories. I feel barns have moods, depending on the weather conditions and their state of health. Above the substantial, blackened barn is wrapped in the cool, misty day reflecting a lightness upon the land.

BLACK BARN TERRITORY

BLACK TOBACCO BARNS SPREAD OUT ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE

Lately I have been thinking about barns and the colors they are painted. I was raised in Michigan and Michigander's barns are, for the most part, painted red. When I drive across Nebraska and Iowa it seems to me that white barns are in the majority. And here in Kentucky black barns are everywhere. Now these calculations are not scientific. It's just the feelings that I get in the different areas I have been exposed to across the nation.

These barn thoughts returned to me today as I was driving down a country road called Highway 21 in Madison County, Kentucky. The air was whitish-gray with a misty fog accompanied by a light grayish overhead sky. These weather conditions created a steely day, from top to bottom. I was in the vicinity of a small crossroads town called Big Hill. I glanced at the surrounding barns -- all painted black. The starkness of the black barns against the day created a surreal impression.

But, back to barn colors. Another color comes to mind when I think of barns and that is yellow. I have not seen it used often. I cannot think of any other colors for barns except white, black, red, and yellow and a no color, a la natural. Why not purple, green, or blue? Or are these colors used someplace I am unaware of? So I now have a question of which I can't seem to find a good answer. I know that the colors of barns are a folkway -- expressing the character and personality of the area over time. My question is why are certain colors dominant in some areas while not in others? Who started all this area favoritism of barn colors?

QUILT SQUARES ON BARNS

CLOSE-UP --SUMMER BREEZE STAR -- QUILT SQUARE PATTERN

This is my second post on quilt squares. This post features only barns while my first featured quilt squares on buildings in Berea, Kentucky. In Madison county quilt squares are an individual pattern painted on wood usually by members of the community on a volunteer basis. The local electrical company hoists the squares pro-bono onto barns and commercial buildings. For my other post that has more images of quilt squares click here. For more information on Madison county's squares you can contact Madison County Extension or Kentucky Arts Council

BARN WITH SUMMER BREEZE PATTERN LOCATED 4 MILES FROM BEREA, KENTUCKY

BARN WITH HIGH POINT STAR PATTERN -- 3.5 MILES FROM BEREA, KENTUCKY

CLOSE UP OF HIGH POINT STAR PATTERN

UNKNOWN PATTERN ON BARN IN CARTERSVILLE, KENTUCKY

UNKNOWN PATTERN JUST OUTSIDE BEREA, KENTUCKY

Post Photos by Barbara, folkways notebook

CLICK ON MY POSTS BELOW FOR MORE QUILTS AND QUILT SQUARES:

QUILT BLOCK SQUARE -- SCHOOL HOUSE PATTERN

KENTUCKY QUILT 1885 WITH PROVENANCE

MADISON COUNTY, KENTUCKY -- QUILT SQUARE PROJECT

QUILT SQUARE --GRANDMOTHER'S FAN

Community quilt squares are a grass root movement in several states mostly in the Midwest. It began in about 2001 in Ohio and has moved swiftly through several states. Kentucky's Arts Council Program has adopted this movement and assists folks that want to become participants in the Quilt Square Project. Right now there are over 59 counties in Kentucky participating. There is a wonderful book published on Kentucky's quilt squares and following trails set up for people to view them -- titled Kentucky Quilt Trails: Views and Voices.

GRANDMOTHER'S FAN MOUNTED ON THE HONEYSUCKLE SHOP

The squares are mostly seen on the large barns in the rural parts of Kentucky. Also, you can find them on some of the smaller farm outbuildings. In addition to the farm buildings some local commercial places are mounting squares. This post covers the squares found on a few of the local Berea merchants.

PIRATE STAR

The Kentucky project is basically run by volunteers which helps tighten community ties. Participants include people from the area in designing each individual and different square -- from painters to extension agents, senior citizens and school children -- even the local electric company lends a bucket truck to hoist the squares into place on the building. The final result is not only a piece of folk art but a piece of communtiy building.

PIRATE STAR MOUNTED ON THE LOCAL ARTS COUNCIL'S BUILDING

The Kentucky Foundation For Women supports the project as they feel that it becomes a lasting legacy of binding women across place and time. And that the Quilt Trail honors the power of women's art to strengthen families and communities.

SWEET STARS

SWEET STARS MOUNTED ON THE FUDGE SHOP

DUTCH WINDMILL

DUTCH WINDMILL IS MOUNTED ON THE BACKSIDE OF THIS HISTORIC BEREA BUILDING -- THE OLD BEREA HOTEL BUILT AROUND 1915

The Madison County Quilt Square project receives grants and donations to make their project viable. For more information on Madison county's squares you can contact Madison County Extension or Kentucky Arts Council.

VIEW MY OTHER POSTS ON QUILTS SQUARES AND QUILTS BELOW:

KENTUCKY QUILT 1885 WITH PROVENANCE

QUILT SQUARES ON BARNS

OLD TOBACCO BARNS - DIMINISHING USE

Once used for tobacco curing and storage these old barns are becomming relics of the past.
Usually found with metal roofs and painted black or left a natural gray.
Tobacco is subsidized not to be grown therefore little can be found growing in Kentucky today.

Once a top cash crop -- now just the barns are left as a reminder. These photos were taken in Rockcastle County, Kentucky. For NPR's story on tobacco barns as relics of the past click here.
Prairie Bluestem also has stories on Kentucky barns.

Comments or stories about barns welcome!