Barn Building: The Golden Age of Barn Construction

Classic barns of North America.

This book celebrates the era of North American barn-building known as "The Golden Age of Barn Construction," from the early 1700s to the mid-20th century. The author explores the variety of barn styles, pays tribute to the craftsmanship of their builders, and chronicles the lives and times of both the barns and those who built them. Barn Building is illustrated throughout with contemporary color interior and exterior photographs, historic black-and-white photos, and the author's own illustrations.

The barns featured are in various European and North American styles. Some examples:

• Log barns
• Round barns
• Dutch barns
• Octagonal barns
• English barns
• Sixteen-sided barns
• Quebec barns
• Shaker barns
• Bank barns
• Star barns.

Specific barns include, among many others, a Vermont cider mill, bank barns in Ohio Amish country, a Pennsylvania star barn, and a Quebec mystic barn.

Rural life has been forever changed by mega-farms and urbanization. Barn Building celebrates the remarkable treasures of rural architecture that still dot the landscape.

Jon Radojkovic is a timber-frame barn builder. His articles and photographs on historical buildings are published widely. He is the author of Barns of the Queen's Bush.