The Middlebury Campus

Issue date: 11/13/08 Section: Local News

Media Credit: Mike Plummer, Vermont Division for Historic Preservation [Click to enlarge]

Across the state, historians and preservationists are racing to save an image of quintessential Vermont that has begun to fade: sprawling blue sky, cows grazing on green pastures, and a barn nestled into the hillside. But before they can begin to preserve the bucolic imagery that has defined the state and spurred its tourism industry, they must first catalog what remains: in particular, historical barns.

The Vermont Barn Census is the first of its kind - a state-wide attempt to catalog the features and current uses of Vermont's historical barns. The Census is spearheaded by Nancy Boone of the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, in Montpelier. As the state's designated architectural historian, Boone applied to the federal government for financial help in funding the project and has overseen its progress.

But ultimately, the success of the project is dependent upon interested volunteers to provide photos and information about any nearby barn that is more than 50 years old - such as roof type, age estimate, and dimensions - that will give experts what they need to take the next step in preserving a part of Vermont history. The Census requires no solid time commitment from volunteers, and anyone can participate. Mike Plummer, a University of Vermont (UVM) graduate student who interned with the Historic Preservation Program, helped design the survey.

"If possible, volunteers are also encouraged to find out what they can about the barn's history - either through conversations with the owner or through research at the town historical society or library," he wrote in an e-mail. "That said, we've tried to design the census to be accessible and enjoyable for all volunteers - no special skills are required, just an affinity for old barns and some free time."

Volunteers are integral to the success of the Census, as they are responsible for providing most of the information. After taking photos and detailed notes about the conditions of barns in their areas, volunteers send their information through a form on the project's web site. The 60 barns that have been recorded are then displayed on an interactive map. So far, two barns have been mapped in Addison County: one, the Round Barn/Langeway Barn off of Route 7 (pictured below) in Ferrisburg, is described as "in a state of total ruin."

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