This old Pennsylvania barn, so stoutly built, is a charming monument to a dieing age of handcrafted barns. Immigrants moving from Europe's densely packed cites and small farms were able to stretch out and enjoy America without fences. One can only imagine the clean, fresh air, abundant game and the green rolling hills of Lancaster County. Stone, a plentiful and popular building material in Pennsylvania, offered a sense of permanence for the Keystone State's new arrivals.
This Kutztown farm, found in south-eastern Pennsylvania, is a fine example of the German bank design, with its overhanging bay. These well constructed, castle-like barns, exhibit quality craftsmanship no longer found in today's metal prefabs. Amazingly, after standing for decades, the stone walls show little signs of cracking, a salute to the expertise of these educated farmers.