Old Wooden Barns - Are they Becoming a Thing of the Past?

There is nothing quite like driving through the countryside, or city, and finding a standing old wooden barn. I love the red ones especially. I found myself loving to take photos of these barns. Then I asked myself why do I do that? I think there are a lot of reasons, but the biggest one might be that they seem to be becoming more and more scarce. The more I thought about that, the more I realized I am probably right. The reasons are varied and many I am sure.

When I see a barn, it feels like stepping back in time a little bit, to a more simple and pure way of life perhaps. I think they have a beauty all their own and a uniqueness. As time goes by, they seem to gain beauty with age like a fine antique. If there happens to be hills, a creek, animals, or a big oak tree, its all the more beautiful to me.

Here are a few I was able to capture with my camera. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did when seeing them. I think it is a good idea to capture them while we can, in my opinion, because we see many farmers turning to more long lasting and durable building materials. Who could blame them? While it is understandable, its still sad to see the big old wooden barns slowly become a thing of the past, if they are. I could be mistaken, and people might still be building those neat structures out of wood, but I have a feeling other things are taking their place to some degree.

There is a particular red barn in these photos that I have a few shots of. When looking straight on toward the barn, you can see what appears to almost be a "face" in the barn. I mean, when you look at the door and window holes in the barn, it looks like two eyes and a face. Ever since I saw that, I loved this barn all the more. It is located in Missouri deep out in the country. If I had to guess where most of the barns are in this county, they would be in similar places I am sure.

I have many more pictures of wooden barns that I have not shown here yet. What became very interesting was to see them in unlikely places. Like on the outskirts of some large metropolitan area. These barns look almost out of place, but are all the more charming. I have lived in places in California and elsewhere where people seek out the land and pay big prices for people to sell and move off the land. What is left is often a farmhouse and big old wooden barn, among many other things. As towns and cities grow and merge together with other cities over time, we see remnants of these bygone times and a barn looks almost out of place. When on trips, and for all the reasons mentioned, I try to capture these barns with my camera and or a mental picture. There is just something special about them to me.

Something else I love are the little wooden fences that sometimes accompany a neat old barn. It makes for a very charming view. Rather than get all nostalgic and think of Little House On the Prairie days, I ought to be reminded just what hard work it was and is to farm the land and have one's own animals to protect and care for. It was not a cushy lifestyle!

One of the many reasons people go from wood to more durable products is that a wooden barn only lasts for so long. The elements get to them after awhile. There is one barn nearby that I have kept my eye on for the last several years. When I drive by, it often looks the same. One time recently when driving by after a large storm, this barn had more of its roof caved in, more broken or collapsing parts. It won't be too many more storms and wind gusts before that one is taken down by our beloved Mother Nature.

Currently, there is a highway that is coming through our area very close to many people's homes. In the area are some old homes and barns or other buildings. I am seeing firsthand how the roads that come through will get up very close to the barns or historic homes. I can see just how it happens to be that barns sometimes are almost sitting on the highways or nearby. I guess while it is a little sad, more people get to see the barn and they didn't tear it down or anything. It is just interesting watching how history and current events collide together. Over time, with weathering, etc. the remnants of the past will continue to fade more and more.

My hope is that generating the thinking about such barns, that some might want to care for what is left of barns they may have in the family that are currently being neglected. Please know there are people like me that view them as beautiful things! I try to snap a picture when driving by and often capture one in the distance or not far from the road. I am always glad that people leave them up as long as they do. If you hope to see more pictures as I come across them, be sure to check back over time. My hope is to add to this collection here. .

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