Long before our land search began David and I sat down to make our congregating list of wants and needs in a piece of land. One of my top items has always been a barn. I still remember my first time to the South (other than Florida, but for me that doesn't count) with my mom to look at schools as we drove down from Maine. Southwest Virginia's rural Appalachian and agricultural history worn like a heart on it's sleeve all along the I-81 corridor had such a profound and immediate impact on me. The rich sense of culture was charming and deeply saturating everywhere and in everything. I soaked it up like a biscuit would good southern gravy, and I never looked back. But the fascination was always barns. Only later did I start to understand the historical context behind those beautiful wood structures; that red thread weaving all of Appalachian culture together: Tobacco. Tobacco and stories. Stories and culture. They are all interwoven. Who would not want to touch and hold a piece of this woven historical fabric in their hands and hearts? Well I guess it wasn't that high of a priority for David as he kept finding properties without barns for us to look at, and I just couldn't get into any of them if there wasn't a barn. Oh we saw plenty that did have barns, but the other wants on that list just couldn't get ticked of
So now we have a barn. Each log and notch and nail with it's own anecdote and I want to know every one. I'm thirsty to know when it was built, what it was used for (besides tobacco). To see pictures or hear stories of its "raisin'" and shake the hands that drove those nails in, if they're still alive. Likely they are not, but perhaps a survivor is and could relish in sharing with me stories of hiding in the barn as a kid back in it's heyday when the addition didn't lean so much, and the floor above one of the cribs hadn't started giving way quite yet.
Until then (if ever) I'll write my own stories and create new memories with Calla and learn all I can about the local history of barns in Madison County and Western North Carolina.
(Sidenote: if the history of barns butters your bread too, then check out the amazing work the Appalachian Barn Alliance folks are doing.! I can't wait for more townships to be completed. I'm such a barn nerd)