We had the occasion last week to spend a few days in Lancaster County in PA. Our bikes were put to work as we toured the back roads, mostly southwest of Lancaster. And we were amazed by the incredibly rich barn tradition.
The dominant barn archetype is what is called the Pennsylvania Barn. This is typified by a cantilevered second story, which provided protection from the weather. It is also categorized by a bank, or grass slope, on the opposite side, leading to the upper level. These were built principally by the German immigrants who settled the area in the early 1800s.
As we rode thru the fantastic countryside, what we began to notice is how close many of the barns were located to the road. They were placed right on the edge of the pavement, which creates a very powerful, almost shocking, effect. We began to realize that they were tobacco barns. You can see the operable ventilation panels, and wood vertical connectors, that opened the barn to permit air to move thru.
After cursory research, I have not been able to determine why this particular barn type was placed smack dab at the edge of the road. My best guess is that it helped the convection of air. The road air temperature was warmer than the field air temperature, which then boosted the air circulation in the barn. Quite possibly, the correct answer can be found in a book somewhere.
Another surprise was how some barns were at an angle to adjacent barns. It was shocking to see a massive barn which was not 90 degrees to another large barn not 50 feet away. Chalk it up to those crazy immigrant Germans again, right?
And back to those Pennsylvania Barns, which we are here to tell you, they work great. For when a sudden thunderstorm cropped up, the cantilevered overhang was a great place to stand under with the bike. We stayed, mostly, dry.