Have you been to barn/yard sales looking for antiques? Do you remember onsite auctions with an old barn full of treasures? Do you shop in a barn thats been converted into an antique store? Did you ever consider that the most valuable antique youve seen is the barn itself? The value of a barn does not just rest in its monetary worth. These structures hold historical information of an inestimable amount. When historians want to learn about a location, they often search out old barns for answers. This countrys agrarian past held barns in high regard. The barn was often the first building built by our farmer forefathers when they settled on their land. It housed their most valuable assets, the livestock and food that sustained their family. Once they secured those items, they could move on to constructing shelter for their loved ones. A barn can reveal so much about those settlers. The size and style of the barn lets us know how it was used. Did it support a familys needs or a commercial enterprise? How that buildings owner contributed to the larger community is brought to light. The methods of construction give clues to the owners country of origin as they varied from place to place. A barn built by an Englishman is constructed differently than one built by a German immigrant. Joinery and roof lines are just two examples of hints to the owners ancestry. This helps disclose the traditions and culture of those that settled there. It sets the tone for what life was like in that town hundreds of years ago. The materials used to build the barn expose what was growing in the area during the time it was built. Farmers used the wood from the trees felled when clearing the land as building material for the rafters and walls. Historical horticulturalists and entomologists learn what species of trees, insects or botanical diseases were thriving when the farm was settled. Sadly, many of the historical barns built by our forefathers are disappearing from the landscape and along with them valuable information about our countrys past. Urban sprawl and development are the cause of many barns being torn down. The cost of maintaining older barns often leads to neglect, so time and weather take their toll. New farming practices can make them obsolete so, even on active agricultural sites, they may disappear from neglect and ignorance. Fortunately, some do find ways to repurpose these structures into antique stores, wedding venues and even wineries. These are the lucky barns that live on and continue to share their robust stories of the past. Old barns hold many secrets, and if one observes carefully, much can be learned from these agricultural cathedrals. The next time you find yourself in an historic barn, look up at the rafters, examine the details and see what you can uncover. Make a pact to save an old barn when you have the opportunity to voice your opinion or offer help. The author of this article, Donna Wetterlund, is the project manager for Barns Saving Barns, an organization working to save old barns from destruction. The groups current fund raisingproject webpage is at www.gf.me/u/x8h8tj.