OLD BARN № 104

This barn is quite large, but simple in its design. There's a set of double doors in the middle section, and a drive-bay on each side. That's it. But, the barn is quite deep from front to back! This structure might be part of a small, working farm, but it's hard to tell just from looking at aerial photos and a quick pass along the roadway. Based on the presence of several other outbuildings on the property as well as adjacent properties, it was probably a decent-sized working farm decades ago, then slowly parceled-out as the farm wound-down operations.

In this part of the world, it's rather common for families to subdivide property among adult children when they "come of age" if they wish to live nearby. So, the house closest to this barn might have been the family homestead and where the farm owners still live. When their son grows up and marries, maybe he and his wife want to do some farming, too, so they are given the "back forty" down the side road where they build their own house. Then the daughter marries and wants to live near Mom & Dad, so they give her the property next door where another house is built, etc. Slowly, over time, such farms are whittled down to several smaller properties, each with a different owner. I suspect that's what happened with the property where this barn is located.

What I find most interesting about this barn is the rust pattern on the roof. The rust is considerably heavier in the rear than it is in the front, perhaps because the trees behind the barn keep more moisture in the air on that end of the structure, whereas the front is more open and can dry faster. But, that is merely a guess.