Thursday, July 09, 2009

Old Barn

One of many old barns in Christian County, KY



The shape of the doors in this old barn is a little unusual. I don't know if the farmer had a practical reason for arching the doorways, or if he just liked the way they looked.

One of the doors has a broken hinge now. I don't understand why the owners of some of these old barns let their doors stand open. It seems to me that leaving the doors open year-round would accelerate the deterioration of the doors and the whole barn. Even the door with the broken hinge could be propped shut.

I can't be too critical, though. I was noticing the other day that my little garden shed really needs a coat of paint. Maintenance does take time and effort.

1 comment:

Genevieve Netz said...

Here's an interesting comment I received by e-mail:

"Most barns were built out of necessity, for storing and curing tobacco. As these farmers got out of the tobacco business, they just let these old barns give away to time. Removing a barn today, and complying with EPA requirements for smoked wood and metal roofs can be expensive.

"I know of these requirements because of the time I spent as a city clerk in [a small town in this part of Kentucky]. There were several old barns in the city, and if the property owner burned the barn down; the next thing you know a EPA official from Paducah and/or the regional state fire marshal would pay us a visit. They would visit the site and if they determined the fire was intentional, the property owner could be summoned to court and face some heavy fines, not to mention the supervised removal of burn material.

"I know of at least 3 cases that occurred in [my little town] in the mid-90’s. One old gentlemen fought the case through court and it cost him $5,000, plus legal fees and the costs of a bulldozer to bury the wood, and to have the metal hauled off. Oh yes, the EPA required them to sift the wood and remove all metal.

"Letting the building fall down is much cheaper."

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CONTENTMENT: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry, live simply, expect little, give much, sing often, pray always, forget self, think of others and their feelings, fill your heart with love, scatter sunshine. These are the tried links in the golden chain of contentment.
(Author unknown)

IT IS STILL BEST to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasure; and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong.
(Laura Ingalls Wilder, 1867-1957)

Thanks for reading.