What does a Dutch barn look like?

The Dutch Barn has a square profile, unlike the more rectangular English or German barns. In the United Kingdom a structure called a Dutch barn is a relatively recent agricultural development meant specifically for hay and straw storage; most examples were built from the 19th century.

en.wikipedia.org - Dutch barn - Wikipedia

How do I get rid of raccoons under my shed?

Soak some rags in Apple Cider Vinegar or ammonia, and put them in a plastic bag. Poke holes in the bag to let the smell escape, and hang it next to...

Last updated Oct 17, 2022

How much land do you need to build a house?

So how much land does your dream home require? Typically, a four-bedroom home can be built on a tenth of an acre, but if you want plenty of outdoor...

Last updated May 30, 2021

Promotion

For the British usage of a hay-rick, see hay barrack

Map of New Netherland dated 1685 - where the greatest numbers of Dutch barns were built in what is now New Jersey [1] A New World Dutch barn known as the Bull Barn located at the Bull Stone House in Hamptonburgh, NY. This barn has the oldest known barn timbers in its core dated to 1726 but the roof structure, side aisles and exterior are not original. Dutch barn is the name given to markedly different types of barns in the United States and Canada, and in the United Kingdom. In the United States, Dutch barns (a. k. a. New World Dutch barns) represent the oldest and rarest types of barns.[citation needed] There are relatively few—probably fewer than 600—of these barns still intact. Common features of these barns include a core structure composed of a steep gabled roof, supported by purlin plates and anchor beam posts, the floor and stone piers below. Little of the weight is supported by the curtain wall, which could be removed without affecting the stability of the structure.[citation needed] Large beams of pine or oak bridge the center aisle for animals to provide room for threshing. Entry was through paired doors on the gable ends with a pent roof over them, and smaller animal doors at the corners of the same elevations. The Dutch Barn has a square profile, unlike the more rectangular English or German barns. In the United Kingdom a structure called a Dutch barn is a relatively recent agricultural development meant specifically for hay and straw storage; most examples were built from the 19th century. British Dutch barns represent a type of pole barn in common use today. Design styles range from fixed roof to adjustable roof; some Dutch barns have honeycombed brick walls, which provide ventilation and are decorative as well. Still other British Dutch barns may be found with no walls at all, much like American pole barns.

Dutch barns in the United States [ edit ]

The New World Dutch barn is the rarest of the American barn forms.[citation needed] The remaining American Dutch-style barns represent relics from the 18th and 19th centuries. Dutch barns were the first great barns built in the United States, mostly by Dutch settlers in New Netherlands. New Netherlanders settled along the Hackensack, Passaic, Raritan, Millstone rivers and their tributaries in New Jersey. In New York, they concentrated in the Hudson Valley, and along the Mohawk River and Schoharie Creek .[2] Many Dutch barns also were built in other portions of the American Northeast.[3]

History [ edit ]

Relatively few—probably less than 600—Dutch barns survive intact in the 21st century. Those that remain date from the 18th and early 19th century.[4] Dutch barns rarely remain in a good, unaltered condition.[5] The Dutch Barn Preservation Society has cataloged hundreds of standing Dutch Barns throughout the Hudson, Mohawk, and Schoharie Valleys as well as in New Jersey. Schoharie County Historian Harold Zoch regularly speaks on Dutch barns.

Examples [ edit ]

Is plastic better than landscape fabric?

Landscaping fabric is the more durable product between the two. It's more expensive and the overall structure is tougher. Landscape fabric also...

Last updated Feb 14, 2022

What are 3 things you shouldn't compost?

What NOT to Compost Meat and Fish Scraps. Dairy, Fats, and Oils. Plants or Wood Treated with Pesticides or Preservatives. Black Walnut Tree Debris....

Last updated Oct 28, 2018

These are the Best Shed Plans!

Comprehensive and Intuitive to follow. Build That Shed!

Learn More »

Promotion

New World Dutch Barns in the National Register of Historic Places include the Wortendyke Barn, Windfall Dutch Barn, and an example at the Caspar Getman Farmstead.[6]

Design [ edit ]

The large beam with a tenon protruding through the post is called an anchor beam. This image is of a barn in the Netherlands, but anchor beams in North America are very similar. (Nutter - 20170459 - RCE) The exterior features a broad gable roof, which, in early Dutch barns extended very low to the ground. The barns feature center doors for wagons on the narrow end. A pent roof, or a pentice, over the doors offered some protection from inclement weather. The siding was usually horizontal and had few details. Dutch barns often lacked windows and had no openings other than the doors and holes for purple martins to enter. The design of the Dutch barn allows it to have a massive presence, giving it an appearance larger by comparison to other barns.[5] Inside the barns are supported by heavy structural systems. The mortised and tenoned and pegged beams are arranged in "H-shaped" units. The design alludes to cathedral interiors with columned aisles along a central interior space, used in Dutch barns for threshing. It is this design that links Dutch barns to the Old World barns of Europe.[5] Another distinctive feature of the Dutch barn is that the ends of the cross beams protrude through the columns. These protrusions are often rounded to form tongues. This feature is not found in any other style of barn design.[5]

Distribution [ edit ]

The Dutch barn was widely distributed in areas of New Jersey and New York. Dutch barns have been identified in southwestern Michigan, Illinois, and Kentucky in the United States Midwest. The Illinois and Kentucky examples may have been misidentified when recorded, and might have been Midwest three portal barns instead.[3] However, New Jersey Dutch are documented as having settled in Henry and Mercer counties in Kentucky[7] so there may be reason to believe that the barns in Kentucky may actually be Dutch Barns. Further research is warranted.

Dutch barns in Canada [ edit ]

North of Toronto, Ontario, Dutch barns were found in the Dutch settled areas.[3]

Dutch barns in the United Kingdom [ edit ]

An example of a decaying British Dutch barn, with part of the roof missing

A British Dutch barn in Shropshire

What are called Dutch barns in the United Kingdom are sometimes called a hay barrack in the U.S., a specific type of barn developed for the storage of hay. They have a roof, but no walls. These are a relatively recent development in the history of British farm architecture, most examples dating from the 19th century. Nowadays they are more commonly used to store straw. They also are called pole barns and hay barns.[8][9]