The Importance Of Historic Barn Preservation

By Donna Wetterlund

Have you been to barn/yard sales looking for antiques? Do you remember onsite auctions with an old barn full of treasures? Do you shop in a barn that’s been converted into an antique store? Did you ever consider that the most valuable antique you’ve seen is the barn itself?

The value of a barn does not just rest in its monetary worth. These structures hold historical information of an inestimable amount. When historians want to learn about a location, they often search out old barns for answers.

This country’s agrarian past held barns in high regard. The barn was often the first building built by our farmer forefathers when they settled on their land. It housed their most valuable assets, the livestock and food that sustained their family. Once they secured those items, they could move on to constructing shelter for their loved ones.

A barn can reveal so much about those settlers. The size and style of the barn lets us know how it was used. Did it support a family’s needs or a commercial enterprise? How that building’s owner contributed to the larger community is brought to light.

The methods of construction give clues to the owner’s

Continued on page 5

19711 Newark 302-454-8007

AUNT MARGARET’S ANTIQUE MALL, 294 E. Main St. Mon- Sat. 10-5, Sun 12-5. 2 floors. Antiques, collectibles, vintage, primitives, much more! www.auntmargaretsantiquemall.com

19711 Newark 302-733-7677

MAIN STREET ANTIQUES, 23 Possum Park Mall. Summer Hrs.: Mon.-Sat. 128, Sun. 12 - 5. Over 45 Showcase/ Room Dealers selling quality antiques & collectibles. mainstreetantiques.com

21901 North East410-287-8318 5 & 10 ANTIQUE MARKET, 115 S. Main St. Daily 10am-6pm. Cecil County’s largest! Approx. 65 dealers, variety & nostalgia. Buying/ selling antiques & collectibles. Local honey available.

07052 West Orange973-323-1711 VALLEY VINTAGE, 168 South Valley Rd. Open Mon-Sat. 11-6, Sun. 12-5. 2100 sq.ft., 25+ dealers. Antiques, vintage, collectibles, furniture, decor, kitchenware, jewelry, books, LPs, ephemera.

07901 Summit 908-273-9373

SUMMIT ANTIQUES CENTER, 511 Morris Ave. 2 floors, 50+ dealers. Antiques, collectibles. Smalls to furniture. Open 7 days 11-5. Free Parking. www.thesummitantiquescenter.com

08005 Barnegat609-698-3020

BAY AVENUE ANTIQUES, 349 S. Main. Open Wed.- Sun., Noon - 6 PM. Book Seller, Pottery, Glass, Furniture, Holiday, Decoys, Antiques & UniquesPLUS Chalkpaint & Iron Orchid Design.

08016 Burlington609-747-8333

HISTORIC BURLINGTON ANTIQUES & ART EMPORIUM, 424 High Street. Open 6 Days, Tues.-Sun.: T, W, F, Sat., Sun: 11A-5P; Th.&F.: 11A-7P; Closed on Monday. www.antiquesnj.com

08037 Hammonton609-561-1110

BERNIE’S ANTIQUES & ARTIFACTS, 18 Central Ave Tues.-Sat. 11-6 & Sun. 11-5. Trains, Pottery, Lenox, Breweriana, Fenton, Petroliana, Van Briggle, Albums + Neon Signs. Qty.Dlrs. Invited.

08062 Mullica Hill 856-478-9810

OLD MILL ANTIQUE MALL, 1 S. Main Street. Open Daily, 11-5; Sat. 10-5. Antiques, glassware, records, coins, stamps, military items, collectible toys, trains, linens, books & ephemera.

08081 Sicklerville856-545-3187

CARNIVAL OF COLLECTABLES, 368

Cross Keys Rd. Open Wed.- Sat. 10am6pm, Sun. 10am-5pm. 12,000 sq.ft Antique & Arts Mall, over 100 dlrs. www.carnivalofcollectables.com 08096 Woodbury856-205-3075 EVERGREEN ANTIQUES & MORE, 429 S. Evergreen Ave. Multi-dealer, 60+ dealers. 20,000 sq. ft., 1 floor ADA Compliant. Qty. antiques & collectibles. Huge, free parking. Mon.-Sat. 11 am-6 pm; Sun. 11am-5pm

Barn Preservation

Continued from page 4 country of origin as they varied from place to place. A barn built by an Englishman is constructed differently than one built by a German immigrant. Joinery and roof lines are just two examples of hints to the owner’s ancestry. This helps disclose the traditions and culture of those that settled there. It sets the tone for what life was like in that town hundreds of years ago.

The materials used to build the barn expose what was growing in the area during the time it was built. Farmers used the wood from the trees felled when clearing the land as building material for the rafters and walls. Historical horticulturalists and entomologists learn what species of trees, insects or botanical diseases were thriving when the farm was settled.

Sadly, many of the historical barns built by our forefathers are disappearing from the landscape and along with them valuable information about our country’s past. Urban sprawl and development are the cause of

ANTIQUE & GIFT

MALL, 43 N. Market St. Antiques, Collectibles, Furniture, Quality Handmade Crafts & Gifts. Open 7 days 10-5, Fri. til 8. Millerstown exit off RT 322.

17350 NewOxford717-624-3800

ZELMA’S EMPORIUM (Formerly Golden Lane) 11 N. Water Street. Antiques, Americana, Art, Asian, Primitives, etc. Closed Mon., Tues.-Sat. 10-5, Sun. 12-5 or by appt. ZelmasAntiques.com

17361 Shrewsbury717-235-6637

SHREWSBURY ANTIQUE CENTER 65 N. Highland Dr. “A True Antique Mall” Over 10,000 sq.ft. with over 60 dealers. Open 7 days, 10-5. Ample parking. Close to other shops in historic village.

18944 Perkasie215-257-3564 many barns being torn down. The cost of maintaining older barns often leads to neglect, so time and weather take their toll. New farming practices can make them obsolete so, even on active agricultural sites, they may disappear from neglect and ignorance.

TREASURE TROVE, 6 S. 7th Street. Estate jewelry, furniture, linens, vintage clothing, glass, china, books, toys, kitchenware, advertising, postcards. Primitives to Deco. Dealers Welcome. Mon.-Sat. 10-5. In business 42 years.

Fortunately, some do find ways to repurpose these structures into antique stores, wedding venues and even wineries. These are the lucky barns that live on and continue to share their robust stories of the past.

Old barns hold many secrets, and if one observes carefully, much can be learned from these agricultural cathedrals. The next time you find yourself in an historic barn, look up at the rafters, examine the details and see what you can uncover. Make a pact to save an old barn when you have the opportunity to voice your opinion or offer help.

The author of this article, Donna Wetterlund, is the project manager for Barns Saving Barns, an organization working to save old barns from destruction.

The group’s current fund raising project webpage is at www.gf.me/u/x8h8tj.