WESTON, Vt. – The image of a weathered barn standing in a meadow against the background of the Green Mountains is a Vermont icon, the subject of countless drawings, paintings, and photographs, perhaps because barns convey a sense of tranquility and tradition . On Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 4 p.m., educator and historian Jonathan Bigelow will deliver a well-illustrated and acclaimed talk on the barns of our area. The venue is the Old Parish Church on Route 100 in Weston, Vt.
Subjects to be covered include how and when the majority of barns in our area were built, how the basic barn structure was altered to fit the specific crops or products being farmed, and how barn design has evolved as farming practices have changed over time.
While some buildings that are called “barns” were constructed to house carriages or for other purposes, most in our area were built to support agricultural production. As agriculture in Southern Vermont has declined, many of these structures have been left standing in the harsh Vermont weather, no longer needed nor maintained. While these structures may offer a “nostalgic” or “romantic” appearance, these relics of another era, another economy, may soon be lost to us without some measure of preservation.
There is no cost to attend the lecture. Donations to the event’s sponsor, the Weston Historical Society, will be accepted with gratitude.