Traditional American country buildings were efficient at serving
their purpose and at and withstanding the weather. Vernacular
buildings can provide some of the best ideas and inspiration for
new designs in the same climate or for the same purpose.
Cold, snowy, windy New England winters made farmers’ hard work
even harder. In the worst of weather, outdoor work was
impossible, and even the walk to the dairy barn was a dangerous
adventure.
Yankee ingenuity created a solution. By connecting their
buildings, one to another, farmers could walk under cover to
their chores. Woodsheds, wagon houses and workshops became a
link between farmhouses and barns. The connected buildings faced
south, with most of the windows and doors on that side. The
buildings formed a wall to the north winds and created a warm
work yard just outside the front doors.
If you’re
building in a cold climate, wall off the winter with the layout
of your home and garage.
Illustration: An
1884 Connecticut farmstead by architect S.B.Reed
Read more:
Hubka, Thomas C. 1984. Big House, Little House, Back House,
Barn: The Connected Farm Buildings of Rural New England.
Hanover, NH: University Press of New England.
Barn and Outbuilding Plans Plans,
prefabs and easy building kits for horse barns, garages, sheds,
pole barns, work shops and country outbuildings.
Free Plans for Country Buildings
A great selection of free, downloadable plans for cabins, small
country homes, barns, garages, sheds, workshops, solar homes,
horse barns, garden structures, playhouses, dog houses,
birdhouses and more.
Site
designed by Christopher Berg
Edited by
Donald J. Berg, AIA
Copyright 2008
