When it comes to vintage things, some people like fashion, movies, or antique furniture. But me? My favorite old thing (other than old dogs) is barns. One of the nicest things about growing up in Western North Carolina for me was time spent with my daddy driving around, talking, and admiring old barns. He would tell me stories about my grandparents’ barn, the work he did there growing up, barn raisings he helped with, and more. Then, as now, I wondered about the families, what they did, and what their lives were like.
Imagine my delight when I found out there’s a whole organization dedicated to preserving them: the Appalachian Barn Alliance. Formed in 2012, its mission is to document the historic barn building traditions of the Southern Appalachian mountains.
While focused on Madison County (which lead researcher Taylor Barnhill told me has, on average, five barns per mile), the org works to document barns of yore and learn about how they came to be and what they can tell us about old traditions + methods. Remember: these barns were built before the advent of power tools. People used their own brawn, as well as draft animals, to construct barns made from huge timbers folks hoisted stories into the air.
Taylor offers guided small-scale, socially-distant barn tours in the area (their regular tour schedule has been shut down due to the pandemic). Many of their events, like the Benefit Art Gala Celebration and Annual Barn Tour Day, have been postponed, meaning their need for financial support is arguably greater than ever. Want to help out? Donate here.
And now onto the really good stuff: those sigh-inducing, swoon-worthy old barn pics. We asked y’all to send us your best local barn pics, and as usual, y’all thrilled my soul.
Enjoy this peek into the region’s past with these lovely photos.
