Finding a good barn is in itself an art

In the mid 1800's there were over 34,000 farms in Vermont. Both the population explosion and modern farming practices have led to the rapid disappearance of the small "family owned" farm and the need for traditional barns. With less than 1800 working dairy farms remaining in Vermont today, there exists a large number of barns and outbuildings, spared for sentimental and aesthetic reasons, (usually used for storage but no longer earning their keep), which are now relics of the past and represent an irreplaceable reminder of our agricultural and architectural heritage and the vitality of the land that once supported them. People from throughout Vermont contact us in hopes of selling us their barn for a number of reasons. Since there are so few people who relocate antique barns, we get calls from across America. Most can't afford to maintain their barn's upkeep or to continue to pay taxes and insurance on them. Many are thrilled that we might dismantle and reassemble their family barn elsewhere and give it a new life rather than to have to watch it deteriorate and collapse.

Finding a good barn that is worth the effort of dismantling and reassembling elsewhere is one of our strong points. Our product is essentially the barn frame. We are not too concerned about the exterior siding or roofing, which as a rule has been neglected for years and usually presents the barn as derelict. After viewing hundreds of old barns over the past twenty five years, we've become very selective about the barns we choose to work with. Although old barns have withstood heavy snows and strong New England winds for almost two hundred years, many are unexceptional and many more have deteriorated beyond repair. Those who wish to include a vintage barn frame in their construction plans must be sure to direct their resources wisely and with a well-informed choice of barns.

Choosing a Barn

A large attraction of the barn dwelling concept is the idea that no two barns are exactly alike. Thanks to the enormous flexibility of the frame, the possible configurations of personalized living spaces are unlimited. The exciting challenge is to create wonderful living spaces which make the most of the antique posts, beams, rafters, etc. However, just as in planning a conventionally built home, decisions must first be made about your personal needs and preferences. Because your barn dwelling is basically a custom house, there are no floor plans from which to choose. You, as the new owner of an old barn, begin with a large-volume shell, and you must first decide what it will contain..... how many rooms of what size, their relationship to one another and the approximate overall square footage you will require. When your preliminary planning has been done, it will be much easier for you to choose a barn that best meets your requirements.

Using an Architect

Because of distances and operating costs, The Barn People reassemble the barn frame only. You will need to hire a local contractor to complete your project. We are a small company, concentrating on a specific product, the vintage barn frame, which cannot be duplicated, mass-produced or handled like a prepackaged housing unit.
We strongly suggest that you use an architect to help plan your home and oversee its construction. Architects can be very helpful with such concerns as scale, size, orientation and cost. At our shop we take exacting dimensions and provide your architect with drawings from which to create working drawings (blueprints) necessary to obtain building permits and to assist your local contractor in creating a refined estimate for the remaining work.Your architect will then work with our photos and blueprints to design any modifications to adapt your barn frame to your needs. For modifications to be made properly, careful thought and exact specifications are essential. The Barn People are always available for consultation for both you and your architect. Many people have found that our past experiences proved invaluable when planning and finishing their barn frame dwelling.

Why Not Come for a Visit ? map >

Although many clients have purchased barns from us without actually seeing them, we do offer you the exciting opportunity to come for a visit and tour a few of the barns you're specifically interested in. A visit affords you the unique opportunity to view the barn in its original setting and can be quite helpful in making some basic design decisions. Also, by exploring inside the actual barn in conjunction with the scale drawings, as well as taking pictures, you will be well on your way to visualizing your future barn project. This is why we prefer to keep our barn inventory standing in its original site, if at all possible.

Once you have decided to visit, contact us for a shop visit and / or site visit which will give you a real feeling for the specific structure and its original setting. We're quite sure that during your day spent with us you will have seen the barn of your dreams and also felt the excitement and understanding of its roots and origins.

And... a confidence inspiring visit to our shop will also enable you to view the care and attention to detail that goes in to each of our restored barn frames. You may also view many photographs and blueprints of previous projects.

When a family farmed >

Our frame package includes >

Vintage Barns Bibliography >

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