Although I have been inside Sears houses, I did not know that Sears once sold mail-order barn kits. It turns out that the Sears catalog offered these from 1911 to 1929. This means that any of these barns still standing are about 100 years old.
Yesterday’s blog post mentioned a barn We were there for an indoor “yard sale.” Aside from that being something to do on a rainy afternoon, I wanted to see the Sears barn that was mentioned in the announcements for the sale.
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| In the Village of Mt. Olive, Shenandoah County |
This particular barn has been used for barn dances, so it’s decorated with lights. The timbers are not as thick as ones that I’ve seen in older barns, but they look closer together and more uniform in size.
Like the Sears home kits, the barn kits were shipped by train. The Sears homes that I have seen are all in towns along railroad lines. They are very nice inside, with craftsman-style woodwork.
Many of the items for sale were just old tools. (Farmers use a lot of tools.) I took some pictures of cute dolls.
The owner told me that the barn was built on the foundation of a previous barn. Downstairs I noticed there were some hand-hewn beams. I neglected to take a picture of them. I may have been distracted by the rain and the cows, and the crazy things happening in the world..
Imagine the journeys those barn kits took by rail and the lives they've quietly witnessed over the past century
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post. Never seen anything like this before.
ReplyDeleteAnd I just read that a Canadian home builder is reviving prefab homes to ease the housing shortage. If they are as durable as these barns buyers will be well served.
ReplyDeleteI did not know about the Sears Barn kits.
ReplyDeleteThe barn decorated for the dances is pretty.
Take care, enjoy your day and have a great week!
...this is the first Sears barn that I've seen!
ReplyDeleteHow fun to find out about pre-cut barns! Trains used to carry most goods in America...and people! Only in the north-east I think they are still active.
ReplyDeleteNew to me but I do like barn with all the decorations.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan