"What did a barn look like in the AWI?" Topic

If you build it, we will fight around it.

Was a barn in the 1770-1800 period a hip roofed building like we see today? A Dutch/Amish looking thing?
Would it have been red, like today?

link

A Dutch gambrel roof I think might be possible for early barns and looks really nice, although the English and Old-Dutch barn style are more typical.

The gambrel roof really became popular post Civil War. With railroads increasing market size, larger herds became common and the bigger hayloft was needed to feed them.

For late 1700's unpainted is still an option. Paint experiments are beginning: rust red (a wash of skim milk, lime, and iron oxide), or coral (flax linseed oil)

link

I really like the gambrel roof with coral walls and unpainted trim — currently on the workbench:

Winston, where is your war? New England architecture isn't the Hudson Valley or Pennsylvania, and the southern tidewater buildings aren't what the Scots-Irish are building further west.

My War is all over the place.
Just like I refuse to have the Welch Fusiliers in 4 different uniforms, once I get a good barn, that's it!

While not common now this would be a good type for AWI.

google Dutch barns.

WOW !! What a great barn miniMo --want to sell it ?

Regards
Russ Dunaway

Of the barns around here ( eastern mid Atlantic) were often gambrel roof types with a break 1/2 or 2/3rds up or information inverted V gable. As a kid to early adult there were many that had to be from that era but a barn is a hard thing to keep up with its size and expenses. They have disappeared at a fast rate in the last 25 years.

NO GAMBREL ROOFS on American barns in the 18th or up to mid 19th century. Not on Dutch, English or German types.
Use Saltflats link for what barns looked like. They were not painted.
Indeed, "barn" red was used on houses at the time. In NJ, gambrel roofs are often seen on surviving 18th century houses, but never on barns.

Winston-
This book was featured on PCN recently.
link

May be worth a stroll thru you local bookstore to page thru it.

@Russ, not for sale anytime soon!

But you can buy the kit from Joerg. I modified the roof lines to be more screen-accurate. link

Everything has a price, eventually.

Quite true, we are but pawns in the Invisible Hand.

But this is several weeks work, I haven't used it at any conventions yet, and then I'ld have to make another!

P.S.
Realised that 'coral' as an official colour word refers to the pinkish-orange sort. It does come in a variety of hues including blue and green, and I tend to think of coral in this sort of range because I have a few pieces like this…

John I always thought that the Hovels barn was pretty good.
There is a picture of it here:
link

It's one of my all purpose buildings.

I do have a set of Early American buildings made by Paul Darnell, of Touching History. They are killer!!

Just like I refuse to have the Welch Fusiliers in 4 different uniforms, once I get a good barn, that's it!

Darned pragmatist. You're ruining everything.

- Ix

I think there were likely a lot of different types of barns, and they varied from region to region.

I suggest you google Colonial Williamsburg barns to see some different types. Mount Vernon or just colonial barns too.

The barn at Sturbridge Village was originally built in New York c.1800:

Thanks guys for the ideas.

Never realised Barns were so interesting and such an area of controversy. I wonder if the barns Mel Gibson used in the Patriot Film were truly period or Hollywood only? ,