GreenCounty,Wisconsin

BarnInventoryManual

IntroductionDespitetherichstockofhistoricbarnsintheWisconsinlandscape,weseefewerattemptstosavethem.Thethreatstothesebuildingsaremany,includingurbangrowthanditsassociatedroadwayexpansion,impropermaintenanceandupkeep,andnewconstructiontechniques,materials,anddesign.TheGreenCounty,WisconsinBarnStudybeganinlate2015whenlocalhistorian,author,andmemberoftheBoardoftheDirectorsoftheGreenCountyHistoricalSociety,KimTschudyapproachedtheGreenCountyHistoricalSocietyregardingabarnandfarmsteadsurveythathasbeentakingplaceinMichigansince1992.TheSocietyagreedthattraditionalbarnsaremarvelousstructures,havegreatvalue,andaredisappearingatanalarmingrate.Movingfromindividualenthusiasmandisolatedeffortstodevelopingawiderpreservationendeavorrequiresbasiccurrentinformation.Atthebeginningoftheproject,virtuallynofactualinformationexistedaboutthenumberandgeneralconditionofstructuresstillstandingonGreenCounty’srapidlydwindlingfarmsteads.Thisissomethingthatwehopetorectifybyconductingthissurvey.Kimhasbeenreachingouttolocalgroups,organizations,andindividualstooutlinetheproject.TheresponsehasbeenoverwhelmingandenthusiasmovertheprojecthasbeenspreadingthroughoutGreenCounty.Wehopethatthisprojectwillcontinuetogainenthusiasmovertime.Youand/oryourgroupcanaddsignificantlytoourknowledgeandunderstandingofbarnsandfarmsteadsinGreenCounty.Itisourwishthatparticipants,youngandoldalike,willdevelopadeeperappreciationoftraditionalfarmbuildingsandtherichagriculturalandcommunityheritagetheyrepresent.ThematerialsfortheprojectanditscontentscouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutguidancefromtheMichiganBarnandFarmsteadSurveyproject.ToobtainadditionalinformationortocontacttheGreenCountyHistoricalSociety,pleasevisitourwebsiteatwww.greencountywihistoricalsociety.com.

PurposesoftheSurvey

• Identifyanddocumentruralbuildingsandfarmsteadsthatcontributesignificantlytotheuniquecharacterofacommunityorillustrateitsagriculturaldevelopment.

• Heightenawarenessoftherapiddeclineoftraditionalfarmbuildingsasafirststeptowardthedevelopmentofapreservationplan.

• Helpparticipantsandothersinthecommunitygainagreaterappreciation

forthevalueofagriculturalstructuresandtheheritagetheyrepresent.

• Createastandardnomenclaturethatdescribesandclassifieshistoricvernacularagriculturalstructures.

• Putintouseamethodoffielddocumentationforagriculturalvernacular

structuresthatcanbereplicatedthroughoutGreenCounty,Wisconsin.

• EstablishadatabaseofinformationaboutGreenCounty’sagriculturalbuildings.

PlanningYourSurvey

DecidingWhoWillDotheSurveyYoucanregisterforthebarnsurveyasanindividualorsmallgrouporteam.Itispossibleforthosewhowanttoconductthesurveyindividuallytodosoasaloneindividual.Thishasproventobeasuccessfulmethodofcompletingthesurvey,althoughit'srecommendedforsafetyreasonstohaveapersonfocusedonthedriving.Asmallteamorlargergroupcanalsodothesurvey.Youmaychoosetoestablishasurveyteamofthreetotwentyindividuals.Contacttheactiveorganizationsinyourareathatshareaninterestinruralheritage.ConsideryourcountyExtensionofficeand4-Hyouthprogram,localschools,civicgroups,localhistoricalsociety,FutureFarmersofAmerica,andscouts.Dividethegroupintosurveyteamsoftwoorthreepeople.Onesurveyteamcanbeexpectedtosurveyone,two,orthreesectionsofatownship.Matchupdriversandgoodphotographerswitheachsurveyteam.Advertiseyourprojectinthelocalmedia,andholdaninformationalmeetingforthoseinterested.

DecidingWheretoSurveyThekeytoconductingthissurveyistobeconsistentandthoroughinadefinedgeographicarea.Chooseonetownshiporothergeographicarea,suchastheboundariesofacityeveniftheboundariesextendintodifferenttownships.Definetheboundariesonamap.Thegoalofthesurveyistofindanddocumentallthefarmsteadswithintheboundaries.Thesurveyteamsshouldcoverallroadswithinthedefinedsurveyarea.Therearevariouskindsofmapstouseforthesurvey.Youmightlookataplatmaptoseehowsectionsarethebuildingblocksoftownships.Asectionisonemilebyonemileinsize.Atownshipissixsectionsbysixsections.Therearethirty-sixsectionsinmosttownships.Donottrytocovertoolargeanarea.

DecidingWhentoSurveyPlantosurveyinearlyspringorfallifpossible.Foliagethatobstructstheviewofbuildingsisminimalatthesetimes.Wintersnowcancauseglareinphotosandhideroofsandotherstructuraldetails.Conductthesurveyoverasingleshortperiod-forexample,ononeweekendorduringonemonth.Chooseadaythatisnottoosunny,butduringgoodweather.Theheatislessinthemorningandafternoonbuttheshadowsaregreater.Mid-dayisprobablythebesttimeforphotography.Ofcourseanovercastdaywouldeliminateshadowsbutwhiteroofsblendinwiththehazysky.

WhatYouWillNeedBesurethesurveyorsunderstandthepurposeofthesurvey.Itmaybethesamepurposestatedinthismanualandsomeofyourown,localpurposes,buteveryone

shouldknowandbeabletostatethepurposeofyourbarnsurvey.Obtaingoodlocalroadmapswithasmuchdetailaspossibleforyoursurveyors.Contactyourcountygovernmentofficetoseewhatfreemapsareavailable.Providearoadmapforeachsurveyteam.Becarefulnottoviolatecopyrightlawsbymakingillegalphotocopiesofmaps.U.S.GeologicalSurveytopographicmapsshowruralroadways,elevation,andbuildingsinrelationtolandformsandbodiesofwater.Roadmapsnameevensmallroads.Platmapsmadebyprivatecompaniesshowpropertyboundariesandidentifylandownersbutnotnecessarilycurrentresidents.YoumayrefertoaplatmapatyourcountyExtensionofficeorlibrary,orpurchaseoneforyourreference.Surveyteamsshouldplantravelroutesthatsystematicallycoverallpropertyinthesurveyarea.Makesureeveryonehasacopyofthetravelplansoduplicationiseliminated.

SupplyList• Notebookorclipboard

• Plentyofblanksurveyforms

• Camerabatteries

• Cameramemorycard(s)

• CD'sforstorageofdigitalphotos

• Pencilsand/orpens

• Mapsofthesurveyarea

• Travelplan

• Letterofintroduction

• Acopyofthismanual

• AcopyoftheVisualGlossary

OtherHelpfulItems• GPSunit

• Compass

• Cellphone

• Binoculars

ConductingtheSurveyUsethisguidetoidentifyanddocumentthebarnsandfarmsteadsinyourdefinedsurveyarea.Surveyorsshouldworkinpairsorsmallteams.It'srecommendedtonotsurveyalone.Eachteamcandivideupthetasksofdrivingthecar,locatingandmarkingthefarmsteadonamap,takingphotographs,fillingoutthesurveyform,usingaGPSdevice,anddrawingasitemap.Caution!Becarefuloftrafficwhileyouarewalkingandcrossingroadsandwhiledriving.Pullofftothesideoftheroadtoasafelocationwhenstoppingtosurveyasite.Itisbesttogetoutofthecartodocumentandphotographthesite.Takeonecolorphotographofeachfarmthatshowsallthebuildingsontheproperty.Takeadditionalphotographsofeachfarmsteadstructure,includingresidences,largebarns,andsmalleroutbuildings.Ifyouareableto,makeaseparatesetofphotographsfortheMSUMuseum,andaseparatecopyforyourlocalarchive.Usethefollowingcriteriatodeterminewhichpropertiestosurvey.Identifyandrecord:(1)allbarnsthatarefiftyyearsoldorolder;(2)allsitesthatareidentifiableasfarmsteads,eveniftheyaremostlyruins,and(3)barnsmeetingthepreviouscriteriawithinapredeterminedgeographicarea(country,township).

InstructionsforCompletingSurveyFormsFillouttheinformationontheformusingthefollowingdirections.TheVisualGlossary,below,describesthepartsofthefarmstead.Useoneformforeachpropertydocumented.Forpropertiesthathavemorethanonelargebarnoranybuildingsnotnamedonthesurvey,useanewformtodescribetheadditionalstructures.SURVEYOR:Givethefullnameofeachpersonsurveyingthesite.DATE:Givetheexactdateonwhichthepropertywassurveyed.Spellouttheentiremonthandusenumeralsforthedateandthefour-digityear.Example:June1,2010.PROPERTY#:Assigneachsitesurveyedauniquenumberusinganumberingsystemforyourwholegroup.Eachteammaynumberpropertiesinnumericalorderbeginningwiththenumber1.Thenre-numbertheentiregroup'sformswithanewnumber.PROPERTYADDRESS:Givetheaddressoftheproperty,includinghousenumberorboxnumber,andstreetname.Ifanumbercannotbedetermined,giveatleastthenameofthestreet.OWNER'SNAME:Ifknown,givetheowner'sname.OWNER'SADDRESS:Ifknown,recordtheowner'smailingaddress,ifdifferentthanthepropertyaddress.Ifitisthesameasthepropertyaddress,write'same.'

BUILDER’SNAME:Listthepropertybuilder’sname,ifknown.TOWNSHIP:Listthenameofthetownshipinwhichthepropertyislocated.SECTION(optional):Givethesectionnumberofthetownshipinwhichthepropertyislocated.Refertoacountyplatmaportopographicmaptoidentifythesectionnumber.Miscellaneousitemsthatcanbelistedontheform:GISCOORDINATES(GeographicInformationSystem):WithaGPS(GlobalPositioningSystem)unit,ifyouareusingone,listtheGIScoordinatesforthesite.IfyoudonothaveaGPSunitinthefield,whenyoureturn,youmaylookuptheGIScoordinatebyusinganInternetsite(suchaswww.gpsvisualizer.com)thatprovidesthecoordinatesbasedontheaddress.COMMONNAME:Indicateifthefarmsteadorbarnisknownlocallybyaspecificname,orifthereisanamepaintedonabarnorotherbuilding.CONDITION:Indicatetheconditionofeachbuilding,usingthefollowingguide:Good—Theroofcoveringappearstobeinweather-tightconditionandthestructurehasnoapparentbrokenormissingelements.Novisiblestructuralproblems.Vegetationisundercontrol.Fair—Showssomesignsofdeterioration,evidenceofminorroofleaks,somemissingorbrokenparts.Poor—Obviousmajorroofleaks,evidenceofmajorstructuralproblems,extensivebrokenormissingparts.Extensive,unwantedvegetation.Altered—Visiblyobviousthatabuildinghasbeenpartiallyremoved,addedto,orchanged.Ruins—Rangingfromfaintevidencethatastructurehadexisted(suchasfoundationwallsorafewtimbers)tocompletestandingstructurefarbeyondrepair.Evidenceoflong-timeneglectwithexcessivevegetation.Indangeroffallingdown.BARNSECTION:Usethissectiontodescribethelargestbarn.Ifthereismorethanonebarn,useadditionalforms.RefertotheVisualGlossarytoidentifyarchitecturalfeatures.Usethecheckboxestorecordthecondition,roofshape,roofcovering,sidingmaterials,foundationtype,andfoundationmaterials.Notetheexistenceofanyotherarchitecturalfeatures.Indicatewhetherornotthebarnispainted.Ifpainted,indicatethecolorofthepaint.Ifanynames,dates,ordecorationsappearonthebarn,writethemhere.

FARMHOUSESECTION:Describethemainresidencebyrecordingthecondition,roofshape,roofcovering,sidingmaterials,foundationmaterials,andpaintcolor.Noteanyotherarchitecturalfeaturesyouthinkareimportant.OTHERFARMSTEADSTRUCTURES:Foreachexistingstructure,checktheappropriateboxtoindicatecondition.Then,usingtheVisualGlossary,describethetypesofroof,siding,andfoundation.Commentonanyadditionalfeaturessuchaspaintcolor,windows,numberofdormers,andanyinterestingorunusualfeatureaboutthebuilding.Ifsuchastructuredoesnotexist,checktheN/A(notapplicable)box.SKETCH:Drawasimplelinedrawingofthelayoutofthefarmstead,asthoughlookingatitfromabove,showingthefarmsteadstructuresinrelationtoeachother.Drawandlabeltheroad.Drawoutlineboxesforeachfarmsteadbuilding.Forthebarn,drawtheplanor'footprint'ofthebuilding.RefertotheVisualGlossaryfortypicalbarnplans.Drawanarrowindicatingnorth.